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SPECIALISSUE | GAME

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Toonstruck

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Meridian 59

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of a terrifying new * ge
level of immersive “«%@ y multiplayer action game
technology.” we've ever played.”

Onake’s greatest additions

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MAGAZINE

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Distributed by :
GT Interactive Software Quake™ ©1996 Id Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Published by Id Software, Inc. Distributed by GT Interactive Software Corp.
www.gtinteractive.com MS-DOS® is a registeréd trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

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Give specific orders to each
unit. Determine each unit's
behavior in combat. Preset
pathways and waypoints. Place
a unit on‘sentry duty or send
t on a hit-and-run mission.

Sighting and. attack calcu
take into account, true line-of-

. * sight. Realistically modeled “.
go terrain dynamically affects unit
‘ : movement.. Tefrain deforms when hit || 3 A 4? Ja
“hg : with weapon fire.«
* * — ax . * $= 2%
“ .

Design your own miss@ons. ,
Create alliances with up to
"eight players by sharinge
resources and igitelligence.
Also, inc@udes gigantic playing
maps, never-before-seen units,
and dozens of other features.

REFERENCE GUIDE TO
MENTAL DISORDERS

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BUY 2 GAMES AND
GET A THIRD ONE FREE’

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GT Interactive

Soft For details on how to get your free game see your local
0 ware

participating retailer or call 1-800-432-3493 ext. M608

www-gtinteractive-com

*Buy any & titles on these pages plus the following (not shown): Gender Wars, Kingdom O’ ‘Magic, Vikings:
The Strategy of Ultimate Conquest, Just Me and My Mom and Just Me and My Dad” and get any title
free (plus $6.95 shipping & handling) from the following list: Amok, Bedlam, XS, ZPC, Scorcher, Kingdom
O’ Magic, SPQR, Sa a ”, Imperium Galactica, Vikings: The Strategy of Ultimate Conquest, Gender Wars, Just
Me and My Dad, Locus, Ice & Fire. Offer expires January 3lst, 1997. Availability dates subject to
change. Void where prohibited. Offer open to! residents of Continental U.S. Not all games available on all
platforms or operating systems. For game ratings, please contact the ESRB at 1-800-771-3772.

ong

XS ©1996 SCi (Sales Curve Interactive) Lid. All Rights Reserved. 9 ©1996 Tribeca Interactive, Inc, All Rights Reserved. Created and published’ 6y Tribeca Interactive, inc. Bedlam is licensed from Mirage Technologies (Multimedia) Lid. ©1996 Mirage Tec!
ne CY GT

me ©1996 Zombie LLC. All Rights
6 GT Interactive Software Coro ll Rights Reserved. Developed by Digital Reality Inc. S.PQ.R. " ©1996 CyberSites, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Created by CyberSites, Inc. Hexen ©1905 Raven Software Corporation. All Rights Reserved

en Software Corportation, All Rights

Delusions of inflation of worth, power, knowledge,
DELUSION S identity or special relationship to a deity or famous

OF GRANDEUR: person. (e.g., all powerful sorceress, assassins, ancient

Romans, commanders of inter-galactic space ships)

Now Available Available October ‘96 Available November ‘96 Available November ‘96

ANTISOCIAL
PERSONALITY A pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights

of others. Elaborate weaponry is often involved.
DISORDER:

Now Available Available November ‘96 Now Available

OBSESSIVE / Repetitive behaviors or mental acts

(e.g., performing magic, killing) that the person feels

COMPULSIVE: driven to perform in response to an obsession.

Available October ‘96 Now Available Now Available Now Available

Compete head-to-head. Surrender nothing.

The Microsoft® SideWindex™ game pad makes it a fair fight
for you and up to three of your best friends. Hook up to
any of your Windows® 95—based games and all four (or three,
or two) of you get the same fully functional, lightning-
fast game control and miltibutton maneuvers. So no matter
how many are plugged in, the competition’s still quick

and exciting. It’s a perfect fit for hands of all sizes,

letting you keep a solid grip and making it easier to use
any of the buttons or triggers to vanquish your opponents.
Record complicated, hard-to-remember miltibutton moves and |

‘map them to a single button for swift execution of lethal
maneuvers. Remember, the more SideWinder game pads you
own, the more friends you can take advantage of. A little
friendly competition never hurt anyone, right? :

enjoy the

inferiorit

of their

best friends.

— Lord Chesterfield

-* game pad

Microsoft

Where do you want to go today?® www.microsoft.com/sidewinder/

Whats Inside

JANUARY 1997

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1

PC Games (ISSN 1089 Computer Gaming
NeS pe BO es Publishing, 951 Manners
d Bivd. Y 549-4300; An IDG Company: The
rids Leade ] F ™ name
d 10g eva art wo Matec
A and Y a: PC GAME‘
). Box 59710, B 3 a
dress t GAMES, PO. Box 59710, Boulde: 7, Fore
Canadian orders must be prepaid in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank and must include $3 0/year
additional for shipping (air delivery). No part of this publication may be printed or reproduced
without written permission from the publisher. PC Games makes every effort to ensure the
accuracy of articles published in the magazine and assumes no responsibility for damages a

rs or omissions. PRODUCED IN USA

Features
COVER STORY

4? Into the Realms of 3D
By Rob Smith

“Hey, 3D Realms, you just leveled Los Angeles. Now waddaya

gonna do?” Hint: They’re not going to a California theme park.
Preview the eerie Shadow Warrior and get an insider’s look at the
incredible new games coming from the Dukes of Nukem.

BEST OF 1996

The 4th Annual PC Games

Editors Choice Awards
Edited By Daniel Morris

While you were up late blasting through Quake, we were nukin’ it
out with Duke. When you got joystick wrist, we got gamepad
cramp. Just like you, we played lots of games in 1996. But unlike
you, we got paid for it. To show we earned it, here’s our annual pick

for the best games of the year.

—— ont Ss: ; ad
crt! > t fest. it's hot > raat

yt 2 ONLINE GAMING

| Pere, GAMING OVER THE
ca ee | I) INTERNET —

amm By Jason D’Aprile

oe a Multiplayer action games playable through TEN, Mplayer, Engage,

and Kali ensure there will be plenty of Red Asphalt on the
Information Highway. But who has the best on-ramp? We notch a
few holes in the global village and share our conclusions on how

today’s Internet game services stack up.

SIMCITY 2000 NETWORK EDITION

The world’s most
popular simulation finally
gets some competition.

| Player 2

is the server that brings
the players together—
before trying to bring
them to their knees in a
mad scramble for power.

surveys the city looking
for suggestions he can
make to the group on how
best to beautify their bur-
geoning burg.

is in the midst of heated
negotiations with Player
1 that could bring some
much-needed revenue to
her district.

checks out the new sta-
dium and power plant he
shrewdly got approved
at the city’s last real-time
town meeting.

After years as the only city simulator in town, SimCity 2000 now has some

Cury 2000

Ses worthy competitors. Namely, you and three friends, competing for resources

and revenue over the Internet or a LAN. Or two of you can go head-to-head
over a modem. It’s the SimCity 2000 Network Edition—now ready to compete

for your free time.

When you’re building a mega-metropolis, two heads (or three or four) are

better than one. So import saved SimCity 2000 cities or start a new urban

sprawl. Chat live with your connected commissioners. Wheel and deal for

property and vote in town meetings.

Or forget back-scratching and try back-stabbing—in a shameless grab for political

M(AXIS

power. The Network Edition. Not just multi-layered. It’s multi-playered.

http://www.maxis.com

Available for Windows 95. © 1996 Maxis, Inc. All rights reserved. SimCity 2000 and Maxis are registered trademarks of Maxis, Inc. For product or ordering infor-
mation, contact your local retailer or call 800-33-MAXIS. Visit the Maxis Web page at http://www.maxis.com.

REVIEWS

"= «GAME OF THE MONTH

88 Toonstruck
ACTION

92 AMOK

95 Bedlam
ARCADE

Area 51, Captain Quazar
Sonic CD, SlamScape

Grid Runner, Creep Night —4, 2

ADVENTURE
Amber
Noir

ONLINE

Meridian 59

FLY AND DRIVE
Hind
Shattered Steel

STRATEGY
War Wind
Blood & Magic

SPORTS
Solid Ice
FIFA Soccer °97

GAME SHORTS

Eradicator, Hunter Hunted ——
Trophy Bass 2, D-

ei. & rollsi Chapres 7 YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

ne tec i Volume 2

STRATEGY & TACTICS
133

RPGs are out of the dumps and
back in the dungeon with the epic

Daggerfall. Learn how to explore
the underworld without going under.

Cheats for Shattered Steel, Time
Commando, Screamer 2, and

Gender Wars.

DEPARTMENTS

15
17

22
29

85
160

139

EDITOR'S NOTE

Steve Klett

PC GAMES.EXE
PC GAMES.COM

LETTERS
GAME NEWS

New online gaming sites, Bungie’s
roll-out, and more.

THE PLAYER
Steve Klett

The Player makes his New Year’s
resolutions.

THE OPPONENT

Blade

This LAN is not your LAN—or so
Blade says.

THE A LIST
FACE-OFF

Can the speed of real-time strategy over-
come the savvy of turn-based strategy?
Opinions differ...

TECHNOBABBLE

THE ULTIMATE GAMING PC
David Gerding

Share our New Year’s fantasy: the coolest, fastest,
toughest PC configurations we could assemble. We
dream about spending mega-bucks on the best of

the best.

145

Latency makes a fast round of multiplayer Quake feel

ALL.....ABOUT.... LATENCY
David Gerding

like a sluggish aftershock. Learn all about the
Internet’s dirty little performance-crippling secret
and what you can do about tt.

149

HARDWARE SPOTLIGHT

Intergraph’s Reactor and Sierra’s Screamin’ 3D take
the stand.

150

Honest answers to your toughest technical questions.

S.0.S.
Patrick Marshall

PLAY THE DEMO ON
PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

STEVE KLETT

New Year, New Look

any people see the end of the year as a time for turning over a new leaf, and we at

PC Games are no exception, as we’ve turned over several in this issue. We’ve listened

to you, and, as a result, PC Games just keeps getting better as we strive to continue
giving you more of what you want—gaming information.

We've kicked off several things with this issue, beginning with a more stylish, friendly,
and—most of all—fun redesign of the book. No, we didn’t move everything around on you,
but we did change a few section names (Tech Shop is now Technobabble, for example).
Hopefully you’ll find the book even easier to navigate, read, and enjoy than ever before. Check
it out and let us know what you think!

But that’s just the window dressing. You’ll also notice a much more aggressive coverage of
multiplayer and online gaming in this issue, starting with Jason D’Aprile’s feature, “Gaming on
the Internet,” on page 75. With TEN and Mplayer going commercial, the time is right to start
taking a good hard look at the online services, as they’re now making you pay to play. It’s clear
that 1997 is going to be a definitive year for online gaming, and we'll be right there in the thick
of things to tell you where your online gaming dollar is best spent. Yes, it’s a dirty job, but
we're glad to do it.

We’ve also added an online games department to our reviews section (see page 111 for a re-
view of 3DO’s Meridian 59), and incorporated a separate score judging the multiplayer appeal
of games that offer this option. We did this to more accurately rate games such as Command &
Conquer, Quake, and Duke, which, for many, excel in multiplayer mode but leave much to be
desired in stand-alone play. We’ve also separated the multiplayer score in our ratings box to
show you at a glance if a game has multiplayer capabilities and just how much fun it is to play.

Of course, we will still continue to bring you tons of behind-the-scenes looks at the hottest
games in development. This month, you need look no further than our cover story, which
brings you the skinny on Shadow Warrior—the latest brainchild from those warped but oh-so-
clever minds at 3D Realms. We hopped a flight down to Garland, Texas, for an exclusive
hands-on look at what appears to be yet another gameplay advance for first-person action
games. Turn to senior reviews editor Rob Smith’s story on page 42 and start drooling over the
deathmatch possibilities.

This is just the beginning of the first-class coverage that'll take you through ’97. We hope
you like the changes, as we’re worked hard to give you more of what you want. Keep the feed-

OS a

Steve Klett

Editor

Internet: sklett@pcgames.com
AOL: steveklett

back coming!

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL

Gini Talmadge

EDITOR Steve Klett
MANAGING EDITOR Joy J. Ma
FEATURES EDITOR Donald St. John
SENIOR REVIEWS EDITOR Rob Smith

SENIOR COPY EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR

ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Bob

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Barry Brenesal, David Gerding, Patrick Marshall,
Shane Mooney, Peter Olafson

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Corey Cohen
Daniel Morris
Nash Werner

Lindstrom

ART DIRECTOR
SENIOR DESIGNER
ASST. PRODUCTION MANAGER

Steven W. Fleury
Helen Bruno
Erin Wayman

INTERNS
DISC INTERN Chris Tou
PRODUCTION INTERN Linda Aldredge

EDITORIAL INTERN

Chnistine Lam

MANUFACTURING

DIRECTOR OF MANUFACTURING Fran Fox
MANUFACTURING MANAGER Cathy Theroux
MANUFACTURING MANAGER Lynn Luts

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER
SUBSCRIPTION SPECIALIST
CIRCULATION CONSULTANT
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
SINGLE COPY SALES MANAGEMENT

Marcia Newlin
Tomoko Negishi

Greg Jones

Irene Basurto

PSCS

(603) 924-4407

SUBSCRIPTION CUSTOMER SERVICE
TO SUBSCRIBE

(800) 688-4575
(800) 440-7248

pcegamessubs@pcgames.com

PC GAMES BUSINESS
EXEC. ASST. TO PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGER OF FINANCE

Anthony Garcia
Chnistine Y. Yam
Brian E. Sours

SR. FINANCIAL ANALYST Leona Ching
ACCOUNTING MANAGER Laura Rosenga
ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR Terry Gering
ACCOUNTING INTERN Lloyd Schine
IS MANAGER Nancy Durlester
NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR Rob Rubright
HELP DESK SPECIALIST Kevin Smith

OPERATIONS MANAGER
SUPERVISOR OFFICE SERVICES

a
—————
le
—————
—————

INTERNATIONAL DATA GROUP

January 1997 * PC GAMES

Jeannine C. Harvey
Lesieli Friesen

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sTUDIG

3D0

5 of Might and Magic,”
E OF THE YEAR — Computer Gaming Worle

Chis long-awaited sequel is a CONQUER

feature-by-feature enhancement of everything that made

the original Heroes of Might and Magic an all-time strategy

cassie. Scoresofnew "| HE WORLDS

hero and monster types, alliance formation for team play,

‘enlarged combat maps, increased multi-player options, and

a flexible “World Builder” | @): MI C HT

module are just a few of the reasons why Heroes of

Might and Magic II will be a prized addition to your

CD-ROM treasure trove.

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www.mplayer.com

“I'm the ~ r | ]
Quake master. Com -

York, New Yor
You're fresh sl . % , |
meat.”

suite, IV

‘Prepare to be
eliminated.”

_“No one can
— Command and
_ Conquer me.

_ No one.”

Your favorite games just got tougher to beat. Because —idasaaainadbabsmasuabt choo.

we've added a random, unpredictable, nasty little thing
called opponents. Welcome to Mplayer.” The new Internet-based game service
that lets you take on real, live players from all over the U.S. and Canada, in

the latest, hottest games. We're talking about Quake. Command & Conquer.
Deadlock. And more—with new games added all the time.

With Mplayer, live opposition is only the beginning. Because you get to
talk to these opponents in real time—using your own voice. You also
get the fastest live action of any online game service, with no delays
between player moves. And Mplayer gives you a place to hang out
between games, where you'll find tournaments, contests,
awards, expert advice, and lots more.

Want to check out Mplayer? Visit our Web site at
www.mplayer.com to download our software. If you’d rather
have a CD, go to our Web site or call 1-888-MPLAYER.

And get ready for the kind of opponents you won't find
in a shrink-wrapped box.

©1996 Mpath Interactive, Inc. All rights
reserved. Mplayer, the Mplayer logo and
Wanna Play? are trademarks of Mpath
Interactive, Inc. All other names are prop-
erty of their respective companies.

Wanna Play?

www.mplayer.com

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i

driven on by a powePful musical score
and state-of-the art graphics. You have

ocean Lloor on & mission to submerge Earth. : to pian a strategy amid a relentless
And the only lifeguard on hand to prevent alien threat, ig you ere to succeed.
total mayhem is you. Earth's last chance The water is salty and it leaves a bad
0 to Clkeep § billion = taste in your mouth, | QS =

heads above water in then again so will

DEADLY TIDES You are defeat. The mission

a solitary soidier in is simple, don’t let

an underwater craft, the

This underwater mission is possible only with Windows® 95.

| Rainbow

u [ iJ (| | 0S INCORPORATED

www.microsoft.com/games/deadlytide/

©1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Where do you want to go today? and Windows are registered trademarks and
Deadly Tide is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

xplore a huge, fully playable world in Bethesda’s role-playing
classic. We’re talking an entire island here, so set aside a few
hours to take in the sights, interact with the characters, and

undertake a few missions.

Demo of the Month
The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall (Bethesda)

Action Games
Hunter Hunted (Sierra)

Adventure Games
Ecstatica 2 (Psygnosis)
A Fork in the Tale (AnyRiver Entertainment)

Fly & Drive Games
Rocket Jockey (Rocket Science)

Simulation Games

Pinball Builder (21st Century Entertainment)
3D Ultra Pinball 2: Creep Night (Sierra)
Sports Games

NBA Full Court Press (Microsoft)

NFL Quarterback Club ’97 (Acclaim)
Microsoft Soccer (Microsoft)

Front Page Sports: Trophy Bass 2 (Sierra)

Strategy Games
Admiral Sea Battles (Megamedia)

Baku Baku (Segasoft)
Steel Panthers 2: Modern Battles (SSI)

Online Services

TEN: including Duke Nukem 30, Necrodome,
Warcraft shareware, C&C enabler

Mplayer: Terminal Velocity (and enabler),
Warcraft shareware, C&C enabler, Quake
enabler

AOL: 50 free hours trial software
Utilities
Scitech Disk Doctor 5.3

Win 95
1. Insert the disc in the CD-ROM drive.

2. After a few seconds the disc should autoplay.

If it doesn’t, use Windows Explorer to find
the pcgames.exe file on the CD and double-
click to run.

Win 3.1

1. Start Windows.

2. Insert the disc in the CD-ROM drive.

3. Select Run from the Program Manager’s
File menu.

4. Type “d:\setup.exe” in the Command Line box

and press Enter.

Wer’ Gerdes .

January 1997

DEMO OF THE MONTH
he Eldex Scrolls 2:

Daqgqexrfali

F ans
Action Games:
Hunter Hunted

Adventure Gamer:
Rustatican 2?

A Pork in the Vale
The Heverhood

Fly and Drive Oames;
e hucket Jockey

Pinball Guilder

Ee |

Getting Started [| Getting Around

Take a gander at the list of hot demos on the
Welcome screen. From this first screen, you can
also sign up for 50 hours of free connect time on
AOL. When you're ready to play the games,
click on the arrow in the bottom-right corner.
First up will be the option to play our Demo
of the Month: Daggerfall. Click on the large
screen shot to get straight to the details on how
to get up and running. Scroll through the other
pages to uncover the buttons leading to our 20

other great games.

The impulses of PCs mean that you may occa-
sionally run into difficulties. Here’s how to access
the demos manually if, for some reason, the in-
terface fails to run: Open My Computer. Right-
click on the PC Games CD logo and click Open.
All the game directories will be displayed.
Double-click on the game you want to play

and locate the readme file for that game. Double-
click to open it and read the installation
instructions.

Most games have a setup.exe or install.exe file
that configures the game for your machine.
Follow the instructions to get optimum perfor-
mance (e.g., rebooting in MS-DOS mode to get
the best out of the DOS-based games).

If you’re still having problems, consult the
help files at our Web site, www.pcgames.com, or
e-mail technical support questions not addressed

in the files to ctou@pcgames.com.

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OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR TEN CONTEST

1. No Purchase Necessary. No purchase or payment of any money is necessary to enter. To enter the sweepstakes, print your name and address (including your city, state, and zip code) on a
card and mail it to: Total Entertainment Network Contest, PC Games, 951 Mariner's Island Blvd., Suite 700, San Mateo, CA 94404. Enter as often as you like, but each entry must be mailed
separately. All entries must be handwritten. Mechanically reproduced entries will not be accepted. Entries must be postmarked by January 24, 1997. Entries will not be returned. The sponsor and
PC Games Publishing, Inc., assume no responsibility for lost, mutilated, late, or misdirected entries.

2. Prizes. Total Entertainment Network Contest prizes and, grand prize will be awarded. Grand prize is valued at less than $500. The aggregate retail value of all prizes is less than $5,000 US
dollars. Winners will be determined at a drawing to be held on January 30, 1997. All prizes will be awarded. Prize winners will be notified by mail by February 28, 1997. To claim your prize,
send your winning game piece to Total Entertainment Network Contest, PC Games, 951 Mariner's Island Blvd, Suite 700, San Mateo, CA 94404

3. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning depend upon the number of qualified entries received.

4. Eligibility. Sweepstakes are open to residents of the United States. However, for entrants under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must be designated the winner if the entrant is selected

and prizes will be awarded to a parent or guardian in trust for that minor. Citizens of Canada are excluded from participation and receiving any prizes from the sweepstakes. Employees of PC

Games Publishing, Inc,. and/or Total Entertainment Network, their subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising agencies and immediate families are not eligible for prizes. No more than one prize will be
awarded to any entrant.

5. Requirements and Responsibility of Winners. Winners will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and a publicity release that will allow the use of winners’ names and likenesses for other
promotional activities by the sponsor and/or Infotainment Word, Inc. All federal, state and local taxes are the responsibility of winners.

6. Winners List. For a list of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Total Entertainment Network Contest, PC Games, 951 Mariners Island Blvd, Suite 700, San Mateo, CA 94404. Requests
for winners lists must be recerved by March 15, 1997. Allow 4 weeks for delivery of winners list

7. Record Keeping. A list of the winners will be kept for at least two years.

8. Disclaimer. This contest is void where prohibited.

9. Liabilities. This sweepstakes/contest is sponsored by PC Games Publishing, Inc., and Total Entertainment Network, which are together solely responsible for its conduct, completion and
awarding of prizes. All decisions of PC Games Publishing, Inc., and Total Entertainment Network on all matters relating to the promotion are final. PC Games Publishing, Inc., and Total
Entertainment Network reserve the right to cancel or modify the contest in whole or in part. PC Games Publishing, Inc., and participating sponsors assume no liability resulting from the use of the

prizes. By accepting the prize, each winner for themselves and their families indemnifies and holds harmless PC Games Publishing, Inc., and participating sponsors from and

against any liabilities in any way relating to the acceptance or use of the prize awarded or travel related to the sweepstakes or prizes. Additional releases may be required for the
prize winner. Submission of an entry is acknowledgment of and agreement to be bound by all terms and conditions of this contest. VOID IN WHOLE OR IN PART WHERE PRO-
HIBITED BY LAW.

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53PC

he action is online these days, and that’s jjiiaum

where most of you are. We are, too—and

online is where you can find breaking
news, special features you won't see any-
where else, new shareware, and a world
more. When you've read the magazine and
played the disc demos, stop on by PC
Games Online at www.pcgames.com and

get the whole PC gaming experience!

The Battlezone

More and more, the hottest action in gaming is head to head—
blowing away your friends, neighbors, or a complete stranger 3,000
miles away. We live to play this way, too, and now PC Games is the
place to go for all the info you want on the exploding MPG and online
scenes. Go to The Battle Zone, and we'll fill you in on what the hottest
new multiplayer games are and give you the newest levels to download.
This is where you'll find the Quake Epicenter, the Nukem Files, and
more. We'll also bring you the latest news from the new online gaming
services such as Mplayer, TEN, and DWANGO. And we'll keep tabs on
the big online services, too. Check out www.pcgames.com/zone for all
your multiplayer needs—before your opponent does!

TipWorld
The key to winning is often that one little strategy or tip that isn’t readily
apparent in the heat of battle. So let PC Games tell

you how to take out that pesky monster,

dogged Spitfire, or demon from the depths!
Sign up for the PC Games Tip of the
Day, and we'll e-mail you a gam-

Id oe

ing tip every weekday that shou

help you negotiate the maze
in that one game

that’s really killing you. Each
week, we feature a different
game. Just point your browser
to www.tipworld.com/games/,

fill out the form, and we'll do the rest.

LDILE ACCEPTS WOLVERINE 7S

PC Games on CompuServe

Now CompuServe subscribers can check out the PC Games universe!

GO PCGAMES, and you'll enter a world of total gaming communica-

tion. What will you find there?

M Features, news, and previews hot off the gaming presses.

Mi =A message board where you can ask questions, vent opin-
ions, and find other gamers interested in your favorite titles.

M Libraries of downloads, add-on levels, patches, screen shots,
and more, broken down by category—and you can add to
them, too!

HM Chat rooms, open 24 hours a day so you can talk in real
time with other game enthusiasts.

HM Plus, a weekly conference every Thursday at 4 p.m. Pacific

Standard Time with PC Games editors who'll give you the

latest lowdown on

the happenings
in gameland.
We'll also fea-
ture regular
industry guests
who'll tell you
about the newest
developments
In games.
Our partnership
with CompuServe
brings a new
dimension to PC Games Online—one we think you'll enjoy. Come

on by and GO PCGAMES.

January 1997 * PC GAMES
17

i
aa

peers >

THE APOCALYPSE
HAS BEGUN

All seven oniie have been broken. Every evil that wa Se SS
_ plagued the earth has become incarnate, disturbing the |= = ~.
_ balancing force between good and evil, man and spirit. ~ |

FRIGHTENINGLY DETAILED 3D ENVIRONMENT WITH

. , INTERACTIVE _— AND PREDATORY DEMONS
Not only have you. stumbled blindly into a nightmare, ,
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And now. only one can stop it.

He who bears the mark. The chosen one. You.

i
=
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Presenting a terrifying.3D adventure unlike anything
you’ve experienced before. Realms of the Haunting. :

The forces of darkness are ——_ for the final - eS
showdown. ~°

0 INTERACTIVE OBJECTS INCLUDING
AN 155 POSSIBLE INVENTORY ITEMS -
EAPONS, AND MAGICAL OBJECTS.

FINED CONTROLS ALLOW CUSTOMIZATION
NNTURE AND COMBAT LEVELS. ee Sk ee ad
Si iwn eae
(@ ATED CHAR ACTER INTER ACTION : PLOT BRANCHING AND MULTIPLE ENDINGS
REAL-TIME, FIRST-PERSON, :

D ENVIRONMENT. = * eaten

THE BATTLEGROUND BETWEEN ULTIMATE

RUNIRETE FOR PC CD-ROM

. : BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS. ‘s
©1996 Gremlin Interactive, Lid. Ail rights reserved. Realms of the Haunting and Interplay are trademarks of Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. Interplay i is the sole publisher and distributor.

Licensed from and dev eloped by,Gremlin Interactive, Ltd. All other trademarks are the Pepe of their respective owners.

Darano fm a liop uz. z-1e's

A sophisticated shooter laced with dark humor,
Killing Time” is a fright-fest for the true aficionado

Saal Oo Wes. ASE)

of first-person corridor mayhem.

You’re trapped — locked in an island mansion crawling with the undead.
- | Clear heads with a penchant for puzzle solving must prevail.

Use your brains and shotgun blasts to shatter the
spell that has kept the island in a horrific limbo.

S-u pee T fie tou tr ack=s' to ysl tne

Afraid? Don’t be. Visit your favorite retail haunt or to order direct,
dial 1-800-336-3506, or summon us on the Web: www.3DO.com/studio3do

Woe > 0-- we Ge Ge 2k Rowe est Mee c)ee REE 0cs fh

MEDIAV PLAY

: % MORE CHOICE. LESS PRICE. EVERY DAY-

3D0, Studio 3D0, the 3D0 logos and Killing Time are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of The 3D0 Company.
All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the
properties of their respective owners.
©1995, 1996 The 3D0 Company. All rights reserved.

i Love You, Man
I just got your November CD, and I loved it!

I love the fact that you put Leisure Suit Larry on your
disc. I usually buy other magazines, but now that I’ve tried
yours, | find that I have been wasting my time. They

NGL

Ouestion of the Month: Who’ d We Miss?

You’ve read our 1996 Editors’ Choice Awards: now it’s time to choose your own. Invent a new
P) d

would never have put a game like that on their disc.
Now I’m thinking of subscribing to your magazine, be-
cause that’s the kind of stuff I want to see on a CD: a sense
of humor and beautiful women.
I would like to know if stuff like Larry is always on
your CD or if it’s a once-in-a-blue-moon type of thing. If
category, one we didn’t do—good or bad, main or Murphy—and tell us what game would win,

it’s typical, I’m going to subscribe. Your magazine’s a lot
and why. Argue your point and be creative: the person who sends us the best response will get a better than the others, but is it always that way? Please let
free, always-cool PC Games T-shirt. (Okay, okay, and a game of our choosing.) As always, write to
us at PC Games, 951 Mariner’s Island Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402; fax us at 415-349-7482; or

e-mail us at pcgamesletters@pcgames.com. Please include your full name with each letter.

me know your standards.
James A. Sherman

Judging from the responses to Nov-
ember’s Question of the Month (Female
Protagonists?), it seems that women main
characters are a welcome addition to the
gaming world. Most of you thought gender
was a non-issue—that gameplay, not who
you're playing, was much more important.
A few of you, on the other hand, were
more outspoken:

Well, personally, | think having
women as the main character in
video games is quite stupid. Most
video games are based on ideas from
movies, and about 90 percent of all
movies feature men as the main char-
acters. Action movies are the biggest
blockbusters for many reasons.
There's blood, gore, and nudity. All
three of these make up a great movie.
Whether it's Stallone firing some
heavy weapons or Van Damme kick-
ing some butt, people will pay lots to
see a movie like that. Now, I'm not
sexist, but while women in video
games is okay to a certain extent,
game programmers should focus on
what makes more income: men!

Wilson Savoy
Eunice, LA

| think it's about time there are more
female protagonists in games! | love
computer games. | play them all the
time. | love action films, too, espe-
cially ones with tough, sexy, FEMALE
protagonists. There are not many (if
any!) games, especially action
games, targeted at women. Sure, |

played Myst, but my favorites would
have to be Quake, Crusader: No
Regret, and WarCraft Il. | can hardly
wait for Diablo.

Of course, if | want to play a
female character, | have to be the
“rogue, even though I'd rather be
the fighter. Games with females as
the lead or with equal character in-
teraction are a great way to get the
men and women that play games
into a mindset that women can be
powerful and smart...and as deadly
as any man.

Playing a female character, |
relate to the game better when | see
my character or get responses with
feminine pronouns from NPCs. | love
Warcraft Il, but I'm getting a little
tired of “Yes, my Lord” this and “Yes,
sir” that. Not to mention Alleria
telling me, “You don't touch the other
elves that way.” Excuse me?

As far as influencing my pur-
chases, when it comes time to slap
my money down, it doesn't matter if
the lead character is male, female, or
cockroach. What matters is game-
play. If it's not fun, I'm not buying.

The industry needs to get to the
point of letting you choose the sex of
your character as a matter of course,
especially in multiplayer games. If I'm
going to go kick some butt on the
Internet, | want them to know it's
one bad-ass FEMALE doing the
kickin’!

Laura Straub
Via the Internet

January 1997 + PC GAMES

Via the Internet

Glad you liked the demo, James. Now, about the
“standards” question: We've got a simple, die-by policy
for both the disc and the magazine—cover the newest,
coolest games as quickly and thoroughly as we can.
That's all there is to it. The Larry titles are part of one
of the longest-running series in gaming; there’s no way
we could pass up the opportunity to show the latest
one to our readers. Now, does that mean each month’s
disc will be full of disco lotharios and half-naked
women? Not necessarily. But we'll keep going after the
best game-playing experiences month after month, and
we won't shy away from a great demo just because it
contains a little questionable content. Ours 1s not to

—Ed.

reason why...

What Evil Lurks...

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the PlayStation
game Resident Evil. Is it going to come out for the PC?
If so, when?

Adam Koebel

Via the Internet

A lot of readers have been asking us the same question,
Adam, so we went straight to the source. According to
Capcom, the company’s considered porting the game to the
PC, but at the moment, has no plans to do so. Damn
shame, if you ask us. —Ed.
Feel the Power

I loved Willem Knibbe’s “Empowered” story (Nov. 1996,
page 58). I don’t think I’ve ever read an article about up-
grades that had me laughing uncontrollably. Upgrading a
computer is not nearly as daunting as people think. I can
remember a few years ago when I wanted to upgrade
from my 80286. I asked the current “computer special-
ist” at my workplace for advice on how to do it. He
didn’t recommend the job and said that he’d never heard
of anyone trying to do it. I could see the fear in his eyes.
I went for it.

Tracy L. Eckels

Via the Internet

“WHAT WE SAW

STUNNED

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EDITORIAL TYPES”- PC GAMES

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44) a 0] > >>|

ith the online gaming world now a serious reality, more game
companies are starting to keep control of their properties under their
own roofs. The immense popularity of the Internet, and the relative ease
with which companies can engineer online aspects for those games not depen-
dent on split-second performance, is leading some firms to handle play
through their own Web sites.
Take Sierra On-Line, which has been this route before. The Sierra Network

GAME Win

its sale and transformation into the present-day ImagiNation Network, Sierra
maintained a close relationship with INN; its CyberPark site at www.inn
games.com will feature several Sierra games for online play.

Yet, Sierra has also developed its own Web-based play area, the Sierra
Internet Gaming Service (SIGS), for people who want to play Power Chess,
the Hoyle card-game series, or Trophy Bass 2. A simple log on at
www.sierra.com and an opponent-choice function that’s built into the games
can have you playing a lovely 3D game of chess on a customizable board with
a friend or stranger in a fairly short time.

Sierra’s certainly not the only company to create its own gaming Web site.
Microsoft already has The Gaming Zone up and running (see “Gaming on the
Internet,” page 75), Blizzard is joining the fray with battle.net, and id
Software’s Quakeworld is due to go active soon. In addition, Activision is
developing NetStorm for its own server, a system that could support the multi-
player facets of its other forthcoming titles.

The advantages are obvious for all sides. On a Web where mindshare is
paramount, the companies get to beam their name and messages at you on a
continual basis. Plus, the play sites help them develop a market for a game like
Power Chess that might not be too high-profile otherwise. “We think that for
a game like Power Chess, online play can help it stand above other products of
that type,” says Scott Lynch, general manager of Sierra Northwest. Mean-
while, gamers who'd rather take on slower games avoid the costs associated
with the dedicated gaming services. And the future promises innovations like

distributed servers and non-TCP-based protocols that may ease the move to-

was the first company-specific online gaming service years ago, and even after

witch gamers will soon have some new
SegaSoft titles to twitch over.

Virtua Squad (it’s actually the arcade hit
Virtua Cop, with its name changed due to various
legal wranglings) offers true-3D polygonal may-
hem as you shoot your way through three crime-

infested environments. As usual, plugging
hostages is a bad thing; but feel free to nail just
about everything else on the screen.
Meanwhile, two new driving titles aim to
put SegaSoft into high gear. Sega Rally Cham-
pionship, a Windows 95-native title, is big on
power turns, skids and slides, and getting
air on jumps. Track conditions play a
major factor: mud and dirt, for example,
can make the road even more treacher-
ous than usual. You can race in any of
six different cars, each with its own
track-busting at-
tributes, viewing
the impressive 3D
scenery from ei-
ther a cockpit or
chase perspective.
For speedsters
who prefer the tra-

January 1997 * PC GAMES
29

ward fast action games over the Net. Sounds good to us.

—Donald St. John

ditional oval to the open road, the PC release of
Daytona Racing may be worth a look. Incredible
3D graphics make it an eyeful, but a word of warn-
ing is in order: You'll need serious muscle metal to
meet the demanding hardware requirements for
running it on most systems. When we previewed it
at the SegaSoft offices, Sega’s own demo machines
couldn’t handle it at its high-detail settings.
Returning to Sega’s arcade roots, gamers

searching for a nostalgic glow may be intrigued
by Sonic and Knuckles, a giant compilation of
Sonic the Hedgehog’s adventures. Play in a one-
player or two-player split-screen mode, running
Sonic or Knuckles through their paces in a truly
vast playground. Ten minutes into the game,
you'll forget you’re at a PC and start reaching for
the reset button on your Sega Genesis. Old hedge-
hogs never die—they just get ported. (Sega; 800-
733-7288; www.sega.com)

—Daniel Morris

id, or Just I?

The aftermath of Quake cont-
inues. Jay Wilbur, the self-pro-
claimed and oft-quoted “biz
guy” at phenomenally success-
ful id Software, is the latest wor-
thy to leave the company—in his
case, to pursue full-time father-
hood for a while. Wilbur's de-
parture follows by a few months
that of John Romero, the con-
ceptual mind behind Doom and
Quake. What does that mean
for Quake-meisters? Watch this
space...

Goin' Back to Kilrathi
For those already nostalgic for
the early years of the Wing
Commander series, Origin is re-
leasing Wing Commander: The
Kilrathi Saga, a collection of the
first three WC titles in a Win
95-native format. (Origin Sys-
tems; 800-245-4525; www.
ea.com/origin/english/index.htm;
under $40)

Hunter Back on Patrol
SSI is set to issue an expansion
disc for its WWWII submarine sim
Silent Hunter. The Patrol Disc
features two new patrol zones,
which allow you to prosecute
the naval war against Japan in
Malaysia and the Sulu Sea
(between the Philippine Islands
and Borneo). In addition, you
get 15 new_ ready-made
scenarios modeled from histor-
ical engagements. (Strategic
Simulations Inc.; 800-601-
7529: www.ssionline.com)

MoreCraft Il
Tore through not only Warcraft II
but the Beyond the Dark Portal
expansion disc as well? Never
fear. 734 Maps for Warcraft Il,
from newcomer Cybertooth
Technology, offers exactly—wild
guess here—734 new maps
for map-starved Warcrafters,

The Stuff of
“ Myth and War

wn ’em or loathe ’em, you have to admit, Bungie

games are always a little different. Just look at their

history: In 1993’s Pathways Into Darkness, the then-
Mac-only developer’s first major title introduced the first-
person shooter to a computer platform pining for this
kind of action. Then came Marathon, one of the first—
and still one of the only—Doom clones to work a com-
plex, compelling story into the game. This year, as the
company went multiplatform, PC users got Abuse, a
unique, run-and-shoot sidescroller, and a port of
Marathon 2. So what’s next?

For fighting fans, there’s Weekend Warrior, a brawl
unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Picture Xenophage,
Toshinden, and TV’s
Married With Children

mashed together and

) Solling (Dwar)
r Pas As sis

poured into the “fu-
turistic game show”
mold. Huge, 3D ver-
sions of everyday peo-
ple—the Mailman, the
Butcher, the Sports
Fan, the Bag Lady—
have at it in a series of
bizarre, multi-elevated
arenas. No blood or
brain matter here;
you're fighting for
prizes, not pride. Solve
puzzles, escape traps,
and pummel your op-
ponents while a wise-
cracking host
comments on the action.

Real-world physics, shifting camera angles, and
graphics designed to take advantage of 3D acceleration
hardware should add to the mayhem. So should the
game’s multiplayer options, which let you network with
up to five other people. You’ll also be able to scan peo-
ple’s faces onto the fighters’ bodies using a special
FaceMapping option. Will it be a Weekend Winner? Find
Out in January.

Then stick around, for the stuff of Myth. That’s the work-
ing name for a game promising to “explode the current para-
digm of real-time strategy” with some truly amazing new
features. You like Z? You like Warcraft? Get ready for this.

Set in a richly detailed fantasy world, Myth pits you
against “a malevolent deity made flesh” and his legions
of Fallen Lords. Only one army can stop them from
laying waste to the living, and you’re in charge.

More important than the story, says Bungie, is the

game’s realism—real physics, real terrain, real weather,

This Weekend Warrior’s ren his onity mailbag.
isn’t that against the law?

One of Myth’s cooler features: blood that stains
the battlefield.

real lighting. Rocks and heads will roll downhill; blood
will stain the landscape. And an adjustable camera will
let you see every bit of this fully 3D world, so you can
revel in the gore.

Bungie also claims the game will have better AI, net-
working, and customization than previous real-time strat-
egy games. Cross-platform networking will enable
multiple players to engage in battles of attrition or in
alternate scenarios like Capture-the-Flag and King of the
Hill using maps designed specifically for network play.
Meanwhile, a user-programmable scripting language will
let you reprogram monsters, change game variables, and
even change the rules of netgames.

That’s some big boasting. Will Myth live up to its
moniker? If it does, it’s sure to become a strategy legend.
(Bungie Software; 800-295-0060; www.bungie.com)

—Corey Cohen

January 1997 * PC GAMES

Studio 3DO Goes PC

aving just acquired New World Computing,
Studio 3DO is moving fast on developing a new
line of original PC titles.
First out the door is Nitro Racers, a fast-paced minia-
ture-car racing game in the style of the arcade classic

Super Sprint. Battle for position against eight computer

es mss. nts Sees Caan re rene ms =

The portal to Studio 3D0’s Meridian 59.

2
=

opponents or connect up to eight players over a LAN to
compete on Nitro Racers’ 30 circuits. Simple and user-

friendly, Nitro Racers will come complete with a track modem link or split-screen mode. The war begins in April.
editor. The race begins in January. Galactic Conquest: Portal of Succession will join a slew
Next, there’s Army Men, a real-time strategy game with of space strategy/combat sims due next summer. As one
yet another spin on the genre. Green toy soldiers are re- of five races, each with its own distinct style, the fate of
leased from a toy box and placed in photo-realistic battle- the universe is in your hands.
grounds against four computerized generals on the tan Finally, Meridian 59 was released as the first 3D
toy-soldier side. Six command vehicles and six unit types graphics, multiuser dungeon (MUD). See our review on

—Rob Smith

Interplay’s Sandbox

ction/strategy fans will

can be maneuvered in two-player mode, using either a page 111.

House Osiris and malicious

get a unique viewpoint
in SandWarriors. Unlike
other real-time strategy

House Set, struggle for the

right to colonize the earth.

The game’s 30 missions in-

games like Command & volve uncovering ancient

Conquer or Warcraft,
Sand Warriors filters the

alien technologies, exposing

spies, and rescuing explorers.

genre through a first-person
3D lens.

The setting is ancient
Egypt, 6225 B.C., where two
alien families, the benevolent

Interplay expects to ship

Sand Warriors in spring
1997. (Interplay; 800-468-

3775: www.interplay.com
3 play

—Daniel Morris

multiplayer game system. The GamePad Pro also
includes easy-to-use software for quick button program-
ming in Win 95—a feature that could place the pad into
cutthroat competition with Microsoft’s SideWinder pad.
The Blackhawk joystick is for gamers who want a

good stick without any hassles or heavy learning curve.
Avoid crashes with Gravis’

The throttle is set right next to the grip on the joystick
new pad, the GamePad Pro.

base, which is solidly weighted to keep the stick settled
ire when ready, Gridley! Advanced Gravis is set to right where you put it. Gravis hopes the Blackhawk,
unveil a new line of peripherals for PC gamers. The priced at $34.95, will become the budget-conscious stick
company’s offerings include the PC GamePad Pro, a of choice.
souped-up version of the classic Gravis pad, and the Gravis also announced that its GrIP system will be
Blackhawk joystick.

The GamePad Pro ditches the old PC GamePad’s flat

design for a dual-grip design, a la PlayStation pad. It’s got

sold independently of any software bundle (it has thus far
been bundled with games) in an effort to bring its price

down to a less lofty $84.95. (Advanced Gravis; 604-43 1-
10 buttons, a built-in Y-cable for multiplayer play at a 5020; www.gravis.com)

—Daniel Morris

January 1997 * PC GAMES
31

single port, and GrIP compatibility for owners of Gravis’

including hundreds designed
specifically for multiplayer battle.

Exclusively Engage
Continuing with its strategy of
adding world exclusives to its
roster of online games, Engage
Games Online has nabbed
Celeris' Virtual Pool. It joins a
stable that includes exclusives
on Warcraft Il, Total Control
Football, Descent to Under-
mountain, and others. (Engage
Games Online; 714-752-5510;
www.gamesonline.com)

Mech 2 Voodoo
3Dfx Interactive announced the
impending release of Mech-
Warrior 2 optimized for the
Voodoo Graphics accelerator.
The addition of Activision brings
the total number of software de-
velopers signed on to Total
Immersion, 3Dfx's developer
program, to 125. (8Dfx; 888-
545-5733; www.3dfx.com)

Starship Troopers
The upcoming Sony Signatures
film Starship Troopers will re-
ceive its translation into a PC
game courtesy of MicroProse.
The Robert Heinlein sci-fi epic,
to be produced by RoboCop's
creators (including director Paul
Verhoeven), pits Earth soldiers
against malicious alien insects.
The game will debut for
Windows 95 before being
ported to the Sony PlayStation.

Ring the Final Bell
Sandbox.net, a Web-based on-
line) gaming site, has an-
nounced a free stock market
simulation called Final Bell
(www.finalbell.com). Players use
the actual New York Stock
Exchange to place their mock
orders and buy, sell, and trade
real-world stock. The actual
outcomes of the day's market
provide your score in the
game—and you play for real
prizes. It looks like the perfect
pastime for Wall Street junkies
with a hankering to play the
market (minus financial risks).

a4 th
ali
oki
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.
SLASH, BODY CHECK AND HACK YOUR WAY THROUGH
‘THE KILLING SEASON.

COMBINATIO

IN THE SPORT OF THE FUT

’ HE ,
DESIGNE “~< |

a ACTIVISION IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK AND HYPERBLADE IS A TRADEMARK OF ACTIVISION, INC. ” 1996 ACTIVISION INC, WIZBANG! IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF WIZBANG! SOFTWARE PRODUCTIONS. INC.
ee = ae oo ALL OTHER TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

M CORONERS.

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LOAD IT AT HTTP://WWW. ACTIVISION. COM |

Bigger tires.
Bigger competition.
Bigger thrills.
Bigger Spent ng

So go Go GO to

www. microsoft -com/ games/ monst pot

for a@ free test drive. And see how you measure up.

Microsoft

Where do you want to go today?° — & Dirty Racing!

©1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft and Where do you want to go today? are registered trademarks and Monster Truck Madness is a trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
©1996 Terminal Reality, Inc. All rights reserved. All other products and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Build It, They Will

Come...

wo new utilities promise the ultimate tools

for game editing to creative types with lots

of leisure time on their hands. The Descent
Mission Builder from Interplay and the Pinball
Builder from 21st Century Entertainment are
perfect for the guy who has the game and wants
more—only this time with himself calling the
design shots.

The Descent Mission Builder, by the game’s de-
velopers at Parallax, is a simple CAD-style utility
that lets you point, click, drag, and drop your way
through the design of your very own Descent
mines. With texture previews and auto-lighting,

a lot of the work is done for you, but real cus-
tomization hawks have plenty of features they
can experiment with, including kickers, lamps,
jets, and more. (Interplay; 800-468-3775; www.
interplay.com)

Pinball Builder lets you design, build, and play
your own virtual pinball tables. The stellar touch
is the ability to import .PCX and .BMP files; the
mind boggles at the possibilities. ’m going on
record: My design for a Friends table, featuring

the expressly prohibited reproduction of several

omeday, we won’t have to jam those shiny

silver disc thingies into our computers to

play games, and we'll always be able to find
a human opponent. A new Java-based Web site
anticipates that idealized future with a set of
board-style games that you can play against
other visitors to the site.

PlaySite (www.playsite.com) hopes to step
out from the rapidly growing world of Java-
based games by making it easy to arrange a real-
time person-to-person contest instead of just
playing against the computer. Although chess,
checkers, backgammon, and Reversi can be

found in Java versions throughout the Web, you

Playsite

Samenoo™

PLAY THE DEMO ON

vay PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

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Pinball Builder—a bit easier
than assembling a real table.

NBC-copyrighted stills, will be the hit of the office.
1,000 points for lighting up Courtney Cox—yessir!
(21st Century Entertainment; 716-872-1200;

www.2 I|stcent.com) —Daniel Morris

can enjoy PlaySite versions by connecting with a
human partner in one of the site’s chat rooms. In
addition to these launch titles, founder Seth
Tapper says that original Java-based games
should appear within a year.

“There are obviously a lot of people out there
with great ideas that are workable in Java, and
we'll always seek those people out,” Tapper says.
“We can give them exposure on a site that’s al-
ready popular and growing more so.” PlaySite
also has Java-based chat rooms that have at-
tracted hundreds of people by word of mouth,
Tapper says.

PlaySite is currently free; eventually, there
may be small charges for exclusive original con-

tent or tournament
participation. You'll
need a Java-enabled
browser such as
Netscape Navigator
3.0 or Microsoft
Internet Explorer 3.0
to play on the site. (PlaySite; 212-965-9773)
—Donald St. John

January 1997 * PC GAMES
35

onference

Basically,

Be EVEN MORE In

the Know about
Gaming

Announcing

CompuServe

FEATURING:

e Live Chat areas about the hottest
new PC Games.

¢ Downloads of Great gaming
shareware and demos.

e Weekly Guided Discussions with
PC Games Editors, Gaming Industry
Leaders and Excellent Gamers.

Not hooked up to CompuServe?
We'll give you Free Software and
10 free hours*!

CALL 800-828-3313

*Subsequent months: $9.95 with 5 free hours each
month. Additional hours $2.95.
Some additional charges may apply.

How the AY 3D XPRESSION+ PC2TV™ lets you plug your PC into your TV

~ for the oe big- screen spine- -chiller that blows away those game consoles |

once and i all. Or how ATEs ew 3D accelerator technology breathes life

into everything on your screen. Wide

f Output to TV
1600x1200 (NI)

face-blasting speed, butter-smooth

Be 30 Texturing (8i-linenr | detail and 65,000 crazy colors.
| Smooth Video Scaling 2 cy
Performance (WinMarks) 40.7M 35.9M All because we build more

I Price $199 (2MB) 6919

| advanced 3D features right .
a onto the board than Matrox, Diamond

ATID XPRESSION+ PC2TV

or anyone else. Really cool stuff like }

DIAMOND STEALTH 3D 2000XL 14x

NATROX MYSTIQUE: | | Gouraud shading, bi-linear filtering,

a el aiuiin perspective- -correct texture mapping and

5 10 15
MICROSOFT DIRECT3D - FILL RATE TEST

fog effects. Which, as we all know, means
| - scarier realism and faster response than dad's Porsche flat out on the
_ freeway. You also get total game acceleration i in 3D aud 2D with
Direct3D and DirectDraw support for Windows 95, fast DOS .

| sic and jaggy-free, full-screen, full-motion, TV- -quality MPEG

| video playback. Plus you get the ATI 3D Software Superpak with the
hottest 3D games and 3D Web Browser software absolutely free. So oe die

an ordinary death when it’s so much more. fun getting dusted

eon

oS with a new ATI sD XPRESSION+ PC2TV a — pews

ae graphics upgrade, See it now at your dealer, or see

more about it at www. v.atitech. ca.

Also in systems from IBM,

: — : | NEC, Sony, and Acer

Now YOU SEE IT’ ee

© ATI Technologies Inc., 1996. ATI, 3D XPRESSION+ PC2TV and NOW YOU SEE IT are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other com-
pany and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. 1. All performance tests conducted by ATI on a P5-200Mhz system
with 32MB EDO RAM, 256K cache. The 3D XPRESSION+ PC2T\, Matrox Mystique and Diamond Stealth 3D 2000XL are configured with 2MB of memory for PCI bus
using driver release: 3.0, I. 00 and 4.02 respectively. WinBench 96 tests conducted at 1024x768 resolution at 256 colors at 75Hz refresh under Windows 95. 2. Test conducted
using Microsoft Direct3D Fill Rate test in bi-linear. 3. Mystique does not support bi-linear texturing in hardware.

Should All Bac
Games Be Forgot

hhh, New Year’s—the time most of us look back at the past year,

ruminate fondly on the positives, and vow never to repeat the nega-

tives. Most of us even go so far as to step up to a mic at a party, or
pledge solemnly to a friend after a few too many drinks, to make one or sev-
eral improvements in our lives by the time we ring in the next New Year.

Never one to shun holiday tradition, The Player thought he’d take this

opportunity to share some of his own, and, of course, suggest one for the . A
industry as well. Will any be kept? Doubtful, but who knows—maybe a | ae
few will make it. You’ve gotta have goals, right? (4) Stop poking so much fun at bad, bad games.

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, The Player can get a little carried away
(1) Start a Fresh Air camp for gamers. in his zeal to slap the wrist of a company that ships a game that is so obviously
Yes, The Player has noticed a common pasty complexion shared among his bad. He’s going to work hard at being nicer. Yeah, right—throw this one out
fellow game addicts. You may recognize these signs in some of your friends: the window, too. If anything, The Player’s been too nice and will work harder
hollow, sunken eyes with black circles, shortness of breath, the thousand-yard —_at giving badly designed and slyly marketed compost the time in the spotlight it
stare that can only be caused by seeing one’s friends get gibbed too many so richly deserves. [Editors’ note: At this point, The Player had to be restrained
times. The Player’s cure: A two-week trip to the great outdoors. The setting: and a cold bucket of water thrown in his face to stop his ranting.]

A rustic mountain camp with no electricity or computers for a hundred-mile
radius. Victims need only be signed up by a loved one, and they'll be whisked (5) Originality!

away in the middle of the night. It’s tough love, but it’ll help. This ts the one and only resolution The Player dares to hope the gaming industry
will pick up. How many C&C knockoffs are popping up? How many Doom
(2) Cut down on trash talking. clones are still appearing, let alone Duke and forthcoming Quake clones? How
Lately, the game-playing atmosphere in the office has resembled a game of many games have we seen over the last year based on this premise: Guy wakes
one-on-one between Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson on the big screen— —_up from cryogenic slumber to find himself captured by aliens and needing to es-
the amount of barbs flying through the air during heated Duke or Quake cape, or someone wakes up on an island or planet not knowing who they are, or
deathmatches is truly astounding at times, not to mention annoying and where they are, or what they need to do? If you’re going to make a Quake com-
bewildering to our office neighbors. Of course, The Player never starts the petitor, try something really crazy and give it a good, original story. If you’re
juvenile banter that goes with multiplayer gaming, but he has been known. making a C&C-type game, think of something new—new species or races to
to escalate it, as everyone knows his dominating play speaks volumes by fight with or against just don’t cut it. How about a different type of gaming ex-
itself....As you can see, this is one resolution that already doesn’t perience altogether—coming up with a new genre to copy?
have a chance. In The Player’s humble opinion, everyone making a game or coming up with
a design right now can take a lesson from DreamWorks’ The Neverhood. The
(3) Increase gaming diversity. amount of care and passion that went into creating this remarkable piece of en-
Have you noticed many of your favorite flight sim, strategy, or adventure tertainment is truly commendable, and is more of what is needed in the game
games languishing on the shelves lately, gathering dust as all the new bad-ass industry these days. Sure, it may be a little short, or a little too easy in places
first-person action and real-time strategy games suck up your play time? The for an adventure game, but it is a true breath of fresh air.
Player has. "Twas a time when he’d gladly forsake Doom, Dark Forces, or The Player hopes ’97 will set a new standard for game inventiveness, as it is
what have you for some late-night strategizing in Panzer General, dungeon- becoming clear the technology is there to support new directions and possibili-
crawling in Anvil of Dawn, or dogfights in Pacific Air War. It’s been easy to ties for gameplay.
forget about his old faves with all the glitzy 3D stuff coming out and the new Finally, The Player would like to extend a hearty best wishes for the New
levels of mayhem to be found in Duke and Quake. The Player’s going to go Year to all of PC Games’ loyal readers. Cheers, and thanks for reading.
back and hit some of those old classics and some of their newer counterparts As always, The Player welcomes your thoughts, resolutions, Duke challenges,
to broaden his fun. and criticisms at Sklett@pcgames.com.

January 1997 * PC GAMES
38

. to play 7

©" 12 mission-based, blood-soaked '*

worlds demanding non-stop violence

& and mental marauding.

Sem Combat ruthless enemies and

| savvy bosses including a death duel
With*the-biggest boss éVer created...”

Mi #2 Hos removable teeth
“ses Insane weapons .ofimass terror

#7 Not the Kinda girl you can take. including “Bloodbath Tidal. Waves,”

'. home for dinner _— .. a a “Multiplexing Molotov Cocktails,”
- . _ me 8. : “Seismic Tantrums,”™Radioactive
#4 Flesh—seeking da 0 “els Green Fog,” and more.

missiles COOK gam
victims to
perfection
#5 Every Kill: finger-
lickin’ good
#6 “Jaws of Death
shear right
through bone
wOeS regular
sOwer Junch’
with Jeffrey
‘D@hmer &
me Hannibal Lecter

#8 First date could Cost you
an arm and a leg

~#9.Can spit a ligament over 30 feet ,
#10 Taikes-ner -tokemout

a i

“ee Multi-Player mayhem.

s Sequel to the
' “Best Action “eae

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‘ie Z ‘en rm s = i www.reloaded.comy i'n 7

Crime: Weapon: Hot Lips Special Weapon: as 17,
— ESRB

. ©1996 Gremlin Interactive Lim#téd. All ights-6¢ 1
\ D Gr ‘ SF Fi ghts served. Interplay is the solg
distributor. Licensed from ang Ver Lapel Gpyr/ghts are the property of their respects

—[

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a
AB e oe . —

FK ASSASSINATION

PHILADELPH

EXPERIMENT Prepare for

the Deluge.
DROWNED GOD is the
role-playing adventure

BOSWELL INCIDENT

game that reveals
the true origin of

umankind. Investigate

four mysterious realms in

search of legendary relics—

guarded by a labyrinth of puzzles

and encrypted by the
mysticism of Tarot.

DISTRIBUTED BY

Visual Entertainment

ATION BY STEVEN W. FLEURY

ILLUSTR:

BLAD

A Multiplayer WasteLANd

ultiplayer gaming is here to stay—so

say all of us. Inclusion of null modem

and serial connection support, mo-
dem options, and online gaming service
signups all take up a significant portion of
game development time. Many is the occasion
when a software company spokesperson in-
forms us that “the game is finished, they’re just
tweaking the multiplayer parts.”

Evidently, this is a difficult area, but
one considered sufficiently important to
delay game releases. And rightly so: If
online and multiplayer gaming are in fact
the route to the future, then those elements
in these groundbreaking titles should be as
perfect as the constraints of technology and
deadlines allow.

Notice what’s missing from that opening
list of multiplayer sources? LAN network sup-
port. Many game blurb fact sheets boast that
“Game X features 16-player network sup-
port.” Well, who’s ever taken advantage of
the 16-player network support of any game
other than Quake?

Being in the privileged position of having an office LAN where gaming
is not only accepted but actively encouraged, we writers should be in
multiplayer heaven. The fact is, we’re not much better off than Joe Public
in the multiplayer stakes. Why’s that? Because we never—and are unlikely
to ever—have 16 machines all networked at the same time, all working
properly, all with the correct software installed and possessing between
them the necessary copies of a game to run over that many machines.

And we’re the lucky ones.

So what’s the point? Does Joe Public give a damn about network and LAN
support? While getting 16 people from a crowded office together for a
Quakematch may not be uncommon, how many other titles are out on the
shelves supporting this network capability—but remaining idle?

That’s not to suggest that LAN support should be totally dropped. For one
thing, those with the capability would be furious. The point is accessibility,
and the simple fact of the matter is that LANs are not accessible by most. The
Opponent can’t understand why so many enthusiastic dialogues have focused
on the future of gaming residing in the multiplayer arena when there are so
many limitations to game players actually accessing tt.

Server technology 4 la Quake makes significant inroads into the realm of

multiplayer heaven, but this has only recently emerged and apparently gave id

Software fits during the development process.
FIFA ’97 offers some impressive 20-player
support, but only through the curious juggling of
resources and the implementation of gamepad
devices and technology to fudge the fact that

only 8 machines are physically connected.

Where does this leave the game buyer and
player? With games stuffed with high-profile
technology that’s ultimately useless.

Unless.

Unless technology gives Joe Public real access
to the joys of many-player multiplayer games.
How? Through the online services. Duke
Nukem 3D’s LAN support will be of benefit to
those honored groups with access to the hard-
ware, but it’s on TEN that Duke is making real
progress and heightening awareness.

Does that mean more game developers
should start supporting the online services if
they aren’t going through the pains of creating
their own servers? The Opponent’s opinion ts a
resounding yes. Spend part of the time currently
going to waste on incorporating LAN technol-
ogy that will barely, if ever, be used and create either the software to allow
games to run on an online gaming service or the full server deals currently in
the offing from a few companies.

The bottom line is that 16-player LAN support doesn’t mean diddly-
squat to the vast majority of game players, but since experts are crying
from the rooftops that everyone does want to get online to take full ad-
vantage of multiplayer elements, make it accessible. Right now, “accessi-
ble” means the online gaming services. If this is the future, more people
need easy access to It.

While we all accept that the online gaming services still have some way to
go before they manage to overcome the problems of lag (detailed in
“All...About...Latency,” page 145), they could succeed given the support.
Accessibility is the key to successful multiplayer gaming. Game players will
use the technology presented to them if they can. TEN and Mplayer currently
offer that accessibility, but they aren’t going to be able to do it on their own.
Game developers, take note: People want to play your games—give them the

tools to do it.

The Opponent can be found Quakeing (when he should be working) under
the moniker PCG_Blade on Mpath, or on a variety of other servers. And he'll

Dukematch all comers on TEN. Send comments to blade@pcgames.com.

January 1997 * PC GAMES

t’s official: Duke Nukem 3D rocks. Invested

this issue with the coveted title of PC Games

Game of the Year, the attitude-oozing action-
fest has been something of a sensation. Naturally,
the developers at 3D Realms are ecstatic about
all this excitement. As die-hard gamers them-
selves, led by president George Broussard, they
have invested a significant amount of time and
no end of late-night/early-morning scenarios into
bringing some truly astounding examples of PC
gameplay into existence.

So everyone’s happy, right?

Evidently, things weren’t
all wine and roses. Last
October, with little warning,
itchy-feet syndrome struck,
whisking away level design-
ers, producers, and pro-
grammers from some of 3D
Realms’ next generation of
PC titles. (Perhaps it was
some sort of bug floating
around the darkest depths
of Texas, where id Software

also resides, as they both

experienced this problem.)
Nevertheless, the forth-
coming line-up is suitably
impressive, boasting the
Plutonium Pak add-on
levels for Duke (reviewed
here); Shadow Warrior and
Blood, both based on en-
hancements of Duke’s
Build engine; and the all-
new true-3D environment

of Prey. Despite denials that

‘2004200 5:50/50 8:20/201 8
3: 99499 6:20420 3:39799

these projects were severely hit by the upheavals,
some delay was inevitable. But the ship seems to
be steadying. 3D Realms has new people on
board, including Paul Schuytema, former lead
designer of MechWarrior 3, as producer and
designer of Prey.

Soon, the games will speak for themselves,
but for now, PC Games paid a visit to Texas to
get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what's afoot

at 3D Realms headquarters.

i: 99799 sag 740740
2:441¢200 S:50¢50 8:20420
3: 39493 6:20/20 3:39/93

Shadow Warrior

Initially previewed way back in November 1995,
Shadow Warrior takes Duke’s Build engine and
pushes it to the limits, adding plenty of new fea-
tures to the innovative level designs that are the
hallmark of Duke’s quality.

“We listened to what people liked and
didn’t like in Duke, and did it,” says
George Broussard. “The most important
new feature is allowing rooms above
rooms. This creates an even greater sense
of involvement in the environments, and
it’s something that we definitely want to
maintain from Duke.”

So what’s Shadow Warrior all about?
3D Realms is still figuring that out. “We
let the game evolve, get the levels in place,
and then in the last few weeks go through
and look for where the attitude is going
to fit,” Broussard says. With the exact
shape of the storyline still to be finalized,

only this part’s certain: You play a ninja

of Japanese descent. Think The Karate
Kid’s “wax on, wax off” to get an idea of the kind
of wisecracks and accent.

One of the main criticisms leveled at Duke
(mainly from Quake devotees) 1s auto-aiming:
it doesn’t take a ton of skill to shoot someone
on another platform level. That complaint is ad-
dressed in Shadow Warrior with an auto-aiming
on/off option. “It was actually in Duke, origi-
nally,” Broussard revealed. “For some reason
it didn’t end up in the final version. But it’s in
Shadow Warrior.”

Probably the most important additions to

Shadow Warrior are the vehicles. Right now,
there are seven or eight possibilities, including
armored carriers, tanks, forklifts, boats, hover-
jets, and bulldozers. Upon meeting them, your
immediate concern will be avoiding being
mowed down by their rapid cannon fire. But
with swift reactions, you'll jump inside the cab,
take out the driver, and assume control. Now it’s
time to cause considerable damage of your own.
In multiplayer mode—a vital component of
Shadow Warrior’s level construction—getting to

vehicles first may be crucial to success. But it

won't be the key.

“We're going to limit ammo,
or make guns overheat quickly to bring back the
Also, the vehi-

game balance,” said Broussard. ‘

cles can become damaged and will start smoking.

Pick up a repair kit, though, and you can fix ’em.

This will also affect cooperative play, as one per-
son can drive while the other fires.”

A notable Duke feature that’s missing from

Shadow Warrior is flying; there’s no jetpack
or similar ability. “The reason for this is
that we wanted to integrate more puzzle
elements, making people think about how
they were going to get access to a particular
area rather than simply switching on the jet-
pack and flying there,” Broussard explained.
Visually, there are some more nifty fea-
tures, like water that appears translucent,
enabling you to see into and out of it.
Tornadoes and whirlpools that suck you
into deep trouble look fantastic and add
yet another potential problem to overcome.

Meanwhile, enhanced AI makes enemies
climb ladders and fight when it suits them,
rather than aimlessly following you to their
inevitable demise.

Four mapmakers are currently tweaking
the 28 levels that will ship with the full game.
(As with Duke and Quake, five or six levels will
be in the shareware version.) Two deathmatch-

specific levels are also under construction.

2D/3D

Circling around 2D objects and seeing them shift
to face you was a limit of Duke’s 2.5D engine
that you simply had to accept. Shadow Warrior
addresses this by using true 3D voxels for all the
weapons and items you pick up. Now, you'll be
able to walk around for the rear view of semi-
naked women.
(Frankly, this wasn’t
in the game when we
saw It; but it’s coming
trom the people who
brought you the Red
Light District, so
ve'd be surprised
if they didn’t include
it somewhere. }
The Build
engine still isn’t true
3D, but it’s been
stretched to extraor-
dinary lengths to create the illusion
that was oh-so-familiar in Duke. It’s
this cartoon realism, the simply insane sense of
humor, and the incredibly inventive level designs
that are destined to make Shadow Warrior far
more than a run-of-the-mill Duke clone.
For those fingers itching to come get some,
the shareware episode is due out in January,
with the full retail version following around

March or April.

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Missile Launcher

The Kiss of Death

Rather than limiting you to just 10 weapons, one on each

number key, the Shadow Warrior designers have doubled - :

and even tripled up on certain items with a few creative - sy Ps Fae = ~~ ‘

developments of some tried and tested ideas. eae

1. Sword/Shuriken Guardian Head (napalm)
Hand-to-hand fighting and throwing stars for distance

2. Uzis
Find two to fire them together

. Riot gun

Sticky bombs

A four-barreled rapid-fire shotgun
. Missile Launcher
Single-fire mode, heatseeker*, and 20-missile multi-fire*
5. 40mm Grenade Launcher
6. Sticky bombs
These cling to walls, ceilings, and creatures and
explode when touched
7. Rail gun* (an ultra-high-speed “nailgun” a la Eraser)
8. Guardian Heart*
The heart of the Ripper monster, which flings magi-
cal, er, stuff
9. Guardian Head*
Fires a stream of fireballs, a ring of fire, or napalm
blasts

* = only available in registered version

Build for Life

While the level editors for Shadow Warrior and
Duke are essentially the same, you won't be able
to port SW levels, weapons or monsters into the
Duke universe. Broussard did say this, however:
“If there is enough demand, we might do a Duke
to Shadow Warrior map converter or something to

- vs =

handle the basic architecture. The special effects SA HEALTH. § ARDGD. j ic MEREDNS See | one | CPS |

will have to be redone, as both games use different BT ted | | heeled | gevag E-s0/20 8:99085|

? 2
Ses a RSS era Slaw racemes S

tagging systems.” ES | LTT | RT

January 1997 « PC GAMES
45

Hand-to-hand with

My rf A LM S a pitchfork in the face—
aed ae | __ that’s gotta hurt.

can be booted around in a manner typically disre-
specttul of the dead. (There’s a soccer-field user
level just waiting to happen.)

While Monolith may struggle with the limita-

tions of the Build engine in trying to add light-
source shading to weapons fire, they have certainly
come up with original ways of dealing death to the
numerous monsters. The list currently includes a
| pitchfork, dynamite, double-barreled shotgun (fire
| one or both barrels), a flare gun (with flares that
: penetrate the victim, pause, then explode), and a
| spray can with lighter (a makeshift flamethrower—
don’t try this at home, kids).

The reliable rocket launcher will appear in
some capacity, but one of the most original
| — weapons has to be the voodoo doll. Stabbing it

causes instant death to some enemies; just be

careful not to stab your own thumb and inflict
The spray

can/lighter

interface :
is sure to | a beast mode, entered after slaying a certain

unnecessary supernatural damage.

With the horror theme still being fine-tuned,

upset a number of monsters in quick succession, has

few mon- | yet to be finalized. Slashing away with bladed

Sters. | claws in hand-to-hand combat should make an

interesting spectacle.

Hi Realms team. Because Blood is not scheduled for
— . ——, bs on release until some time

In Blood, the Build engine is taking a slightly differ- around the middle of
ent turn under the wing of Monolith, a 3D Realms _ next year, many ele-
affiliate that’s been given the freedom to tweak the ments have yet to be
technology in a slightly different way than the 3D finalized. As with
Shadow Warrior, much
of the attitude will be
added in the final weeks
of development.

Right now, 3D
Realms is still trying to
decide exactly who your
character’s going to be. A
lame monk guy has been
shelved, but many op-

tions are circulating.

Some very neat fea- , eS
tures are already in place, though. How about a a

bit of head soccer? Monsters’ decapitated noggins

AND AGAIN
AND AGAIN —
AND AGAIN. -

Introducing DEUS, the 3D >
role-playing game that requires
_both brains and brawn.

-e Your Identity: 22nd century
; bounty hunter |

° Your Goal: save the scientific
community on the planet
Alcibiade from terrorists —

¢ Your Obstacles: 40 predators;
5 lunatic terrorists; |
mind-bending puzzles;
your own life parameters
(health, energy, food) —

-e Your Strategy: Kill. eat.
Kill. sleep. Kill. tend
‘wounds. Kill...

° Your Weapons: anything from
_ spears to rocket launchers

Your Bonus: 2 play modes - role"

playing and arcade

~ Don’ time a a . -
ee in your k on i is he or he'y

Website:
http://www.readysoft.com

REALMS

Even the familiar sight of a pinball table is get-
ting the 3D Realms treatment in Balls of Steel,
a collection of six fun, highly detailed, action-
oriented tables. A Duke table featuring the
hero doing a bit of singing should be quite

_ Come ons some shiny balls. : :

amusing, and in a departure from other pinball
games, there’s gonna be blood! (Gee, that’s a
surprise. )

Several missions with a coherent story for
each table will be a novel twist to the usual
disconnected themes of most pinball games.
Five-ball multiball and lots of voices to main-
tain the speed and atmosphere should set this
apart from the plunger competition.

A one-table shareware version is due soon,
with the full version ready soon after.

F
|
* 4
3 a ae
2 > -
a 9 ,

Duke Down the e Line

A hematin tame sais as Duke i is not going
to be kept out of the spotlight for long. His ap-
pearances over the next two years are already in
the planning phase. Duke Forever is going to be
“a truly awesome, groundbreaking sidescroller
featuring Duke’s voice” said Broussard. It’s due
for release in late 1997.

To make the Christmas ’97 release date,
work on the next Duke 3D game will be under-
way before the year is out. The as-yet-unnamed
project will still be based on Build, but will
incorporate 3D sprites and rooms on top of
rooms. The setting is also being decided, al-
though Vegas has been mentioned as one possi-
bility. Duke would be right at home among the
glaring neon, shooting craps and taking in the,
ahem, sights. Surely it’s an opportunity too
good to miss for the 3D Realms crew. Think
of all the fun to be had doing the research!

“When we finish this short project, we'll
likely use the Prey engine (or a modified ver-
sion) for a true 3D, six-degrees-of-freedom
Duke to start in late 1997,” Broussard added.
That’s the scoop... *

George Kicks Ass

_ Game reviewers are in the privileged posi-

| tion of having to play games like Duke 3D.

‘The fact that we thoroughly enjoy the mani-
acal deathmatches and associated bad-
mouthing, sniping, and trash talking is

just our good fortune. We also ike to pit

| Broussard got excited chance
| kick some reporter butt, it was an on indication
of just how much fun and deste appeal -
Duke retain,

On Hollywood Holocaust, a we well
known to all, George, editor Steve Klett and
I got down to action. While Steve emerged
‘wit ) at least a semblance of dignity in his

8 ki lls, my paltry 10 was an embarrassing
} bt ecient George’s emphatic 5 0!

_ being the Lond dof ‘Bin x so you adidas even
et your best and I stil kicked the — out |

any2096 Hanno e\bomu strane
TOWOu is a SHO eMANtAO Payne

The Reactors

Hh
i}
mh
f

The Power-Ups

_ ‘DPGp tHeNGnyStel
| in ah Opponents
pudenor to deyir
His Cill-Clye'..

Hi - = Juuios:
Crystal BonGse

Hlapeueiasy tle
“Hoges 2 Moree

The Crystal
ing.these Veoy tt in

rotates stig “your paaccor . aS
~chanipen 9 ineraase ——
[- | om GEGREESs Youe Cie ae

| CHA MBER

The 3-D Rotatable Deathmatch

Your arena is a rotating chamber... Your goal is survival... Your opponent is time...

Turn it left. Turn it right. In this multiplayer deathmatch, Because when your clock hits zero,
Turn the wall into a floor. it's every man for himself. you're cooked. p | *
| ye
/_
PC CD-ROM

Visit us at http:/Awww.activision.com or on America Online at Keyword “Activision” or on CompuServe at Keyword “Go Activision”

Activision is a registered trademark and Blast Chamber is a trademark of Activision Inc. © 1996 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sega and Sega Saturn are trademarks of SEGA ENTERPRISES. LTD

| thousands for anyone with an inkling to
download them. But the arrival of the offi-

cial add-on, Plutonium Pak, proves one thing:
There are amateurs, and then there are 3D
Realms’ professionals. A new episode—The
Birth, consisting of nine new levels, a new
weapon and new enemies, plus a few cosmetic
changes—continues our hero’s fight against
alien scum.
The
Plutonium Pak
upgrades the
full CD 1.3D
version to 1.4.

It adds noth-
ing new to the

badder,

bloodier, and
more taste-

original three
episodes, but has a new interface with a couple
of extra options, including entering a TEN game.
Sadly, where 3D Realms is always looking to
push the boundaries of good taste and attitude, it
slipped over the edge
of decency with a
staggeringly unneces-
sary Opening scene.
We can hear the com-
plaints coming al-
ready. Don’t say you
haven’t been warned.
But the good
things in these new
levels still outweigh
the questionable ones.
First off, a new mon-
ster, the Protector
Drone, can be deadly,

throwing shrinker
rays from a dis-
tance and slashing
with vicious claws
at close quarters.
They’re tough, too,
taking six shotgun
blasts to down.
They, er, protect
the Queen Alien,
the all-new, bad-ass
boss.

The pig cops
have been given a new vehicle.
The mini-tank is a fast-firing de-
vice offering great protection to
the porky ones. A switch on the back initiates a
self-destruct that explodes with tremendous
force (run fast and far). While it’s pretty cool for
a while, this machine’s amazing turning circle,
on top of its incredible ability to do small jumps
from its flat rollers, makes it a depressing, al-
most unbalancing enemy.

The Expander is an attachment to the
Shrinker, rather than a whole new weapon. It
microwaves its victims, making them swell
until they explode. This one’s deliciously nasty,
especially in deathmatches. That’s good, be-
cause the levels themselves were designed
specifically for Dukematches, which will make
for some classic, bloody buddy battles.

Attitude, of course, is in abundance. If there’s
a chance to poke fun at a movie, be it Mission:
Impossible, Terminator 2, Independence Day, or
a host of others, 3D Realms is not reluctant to
go for a
cheap
laugh.
Backed by
more of
Duke’s
character-
Istic
wiseass
commen-
tary, un-
earthing
new areas
is a com-
plete joy.

nuary 1997" PC GAMES

Duke Nukem 3D:
Plutonium Pa

the Shrinker. —

- firing add-on to

With the subtle (and not-so-subtle) gags, it’s
worth clicking on every item; just be prepared
for a few shocks.

A hefty install routine required a re-installa-
tion of the full Duke on all the machines we
tested it on, but that’s still an acceptable price to
pay for the quality of these new levels. There are
some great user-created levels out there, but it
takes time and care to create worlds as well-
rounded and complete as those in the Plutonium
Pak. It’s going to sell by the truckload—and

rightfully so.
» > GAMEPLAY: A-
<q : GETTING STARTED: B+
QO. | GRAPHICS: B | |
S| SOUND CHECK: B+ BOOMER ALL |
_
=% = MULTIPLAYER: A-
Oo
= Mmm—l'm looking good.
a
ma —«Deveoper: 3D Realms
on PusuisHeR: GT Interactive
as 800-332-4300
www.3drealms.com
Piatrorm: DOS CD |
Reauines: 486DX2/66, 8MB RAM,
VGA, retail version of Duke
Nukem 3D
List Price: $29.95

eae ¥ As in the regular game, look for mes-
Tl PS lm sages scrawled on walls. W In Babe

Land, save your RPGs and devastator ammo for the
Pirates of the Caribbean. You'll need ‘em to take out
the cannons from a distance. W To access the secret
level, click on the George Washington portrait in Pig
Sty. ¥ The combination for the puzzle at the end of
Area 51 is on a wall in the level.

DUKE NUKEM 3D

Mees merrenitecr nhs eel tle so

3
£
Bs
:
Fd

Ultimate control.

Total customization.

Advanced battlefield st

Interplay Productions 16815 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92606 Interplay Website: www.interplay.com
©1996 Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. M.A.X. and Interplay are trademarks of Interplay Productions. All rights reserved.

a a

“ *

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gtintera

www

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Se,

Any

www. idsoftware.com

a one

Racing Technology!

Race one of 16 prototype X-Cars. The latest experimental racing vehicles!

lest drive your prototype and customize every aspect of your car’s
performance using cutting-edge racing technology.

Experience brilliant high res (SVGA] graphics at sustained frame rates.
X-Car is the most beautiful and fastest racing game on the market!

Includes a library of real racing circuits and fantasy tracks. You can race
lime Rock, the streets of Seattle or around Mayan temples!

Generate real telemetry data on high speed oval, skid pad or handling
tracks to customize your car for optimum performance.

The first true hard core racing simulation with an Arcade Mode for those
Who just want to experience the pure fun of racing FAST!

eat

Packie

BcFicSUA Sur Wyss

1370 Piccard Drive, Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850
BBS: 301 990-7552 © Fax: 301 926-8010
Website: oe

By Daniel Morris

t's all we do, 24-7-365—play, play, and
when it's quitting time, play some more. In
fact, we see and play virtually every game
released—hig and small, known and
obscure, hyped and hopeless. At the end of
the year, we tear ourselves away from the
computers, lock ourselves down in a con-
ference room with well-padded walls,
and separate the greats from the grunts
to deliver the hard-bitten, truth-tellin’
PC Games Editors’ Choice Awards.
If it's anywhere near this list, you
know it's good. If it actually gets
our highly critical approval, it’s
simply the best. Here you'll find all
our winners, plus an explanation
of what made the best stand out
from the rest. Where the debate
raged almost too close to call, we opted for a
runner-up; but in many categories, only one
choice ascended to gaming glory.
There were some tough calls; but, dammit,

that's what they pay us for.

mS
a

par san maa eae

“Advanced combat options ~
include stealth movement and Se 3
bio-mechanically enhanced units. | . *

n the brink of anarchy. —
_ For centuries, 4 diverse’
races have tolerated a
precarious balance of power.
But a new order is in the wind...
one born of blood and fire! Ds

This real-time strategy game
lets you carry your 8 favorite
luis wnits from scenario to scenario.

Play solitaire or choose mult?
player and head-to-head play via
: network and modem.

‘Online tutorial and pop-
up windows help you
learn the game quickly.

: : A MINDSCAPE® COMPANY
Developed by DreamForge Intertainment. WAR WIND is a trademark of Strategic Simulations, Inc., a Mindscape Company.

(Apogee/3D Realms)

amn, those bastards at 3D

Realms are gonna pay for suck-

ing up all our time... because
Duke is how we spent it. How many hours?
Combining the staff, we’re looking at thousands
of man-hours over our office LAN alone, not
including our home online play. For the benefit
of our publisher, we hasten to add that these
were “after-hours” hours. Ahem.

As we sat down to pick our Game of the
Year, everyone knew there were two candidates:
Duke and Quake. Both had vociferous propo-
nents, and the action got ugly. Some were
tempted to settle the matter in the parking lot,
with the help of some nailguns and
freezethrowers.

We'll say it here and say it loud: Quake
is without a doubt the gaming blast of the
year. Though it might suffice to briefly ex-
plain our choice, we’re going to detail some
of the specifics of this close race—namely,
why Duke is a better game than Quake. Our
argument took days, so here’s the Reader’s
Digest version:

While we concede Quake every technical
merit, it just doesn’t have that elusive quality
the philosophers call a soul. Quake has a lot
of style and some serious personality, but
Duke is the one we hang out with—the wit,
the creativity, the interaction with the garishly
colorful environment. If Quake is the big sum-
mer blockbuster movie that everybody has to
see at least once, Duke is the kick-butt B-
movie that you’ve got on tape and watch
again and again and again.

We’ve all got our war stories. For some of
us, it’s the matches spent as a Duke newbie,
helpless to fight back as we were shrunk and
pathetically squashed beneath the Mighty
Boot of a laughing, uncaring editor who will
go unnamed (but his initials are Steve Klett).
For others, it’s the time you rounded a corner
and found yourself knee-deep in a pile of
pipebombs with only enough time to groan

“Damn...” before you were blown sky-high.

Duke Nukem 3D

Or the first time you stepped to the mic and
delivered a crooning song, or offered a hooker
some cash for a “flash dance.” Or left a knee-
high tripwire surprise for a pursuer. Or froze
a buddy and laughed in his face before kick-
ing him to shards.

That’s Duke: rough, racy, more than a little
nasty, and the most enjoyable game of the year.

If Quake offers us a taste of tomorrow, Duke

Nukem 3D serves up a foam-topped pint of
gaming today.
So pop a tab and cool your heels for a

while, Duke. Damn, you’re good.

RUNNER-UP:

Quake
(id Software)

Needless to say, these two mixed it up not only
for Year’s Best honors, but for those of Best

Action and Best Multiplayer Game as well.

none anaanmemrenineitetant

. EDITORS’

BEST ACTION GAME

Duke Nukem 3D
Runner-Up: Quake

JEST MULTIPLAYER GAME

Duke Nukem 3D
Runner-Up: Quake

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icresoft Corporation.

eserved

Quake
(id Software)

uake is the future of gaming, no

doubt about it. A true 3D environ-

ment shaped fully by polygons,
brilliant light-sourcing, and haunting use of tex-
ture and shadow. Quake is currently the ulti-
mate In Immersive environments, and the
standard by which first-person technology will

be judged for a long time.

RUNNER-UP:
The Neverhood

(DreamWorks Interactive)

The Neverhood dips back into animation’s
infancy to bring us a game that truly reawakens
the sense of wonder we enjoyed when we began
playing on our PCs. The stop-frame clay anima-
tion and vivid environments are remarkable,
and, like all great fantasies, The Neverhood car-
ries you away to its own miraculous world.
This game belongs on the shelf of everyone

devoted to the too-often-maligned (and mis-

treated) art of interactive storytelling.

Syndicate Wars
(Bullfrog/EA)

n its day, Syndicate was a trailblazing

classic of the then-infant real-time-

strategy genre. In our day,
Syndicate Wars updates that vision
and then some. Claw your way to
the top of a corporate ladder in a
world where the gun is truly might-

ier than the pen.

RUNNER-UP:

(Virgin)
The Bitmap Brothers turned real-
time strategy gaming inside-out

with this delightful tongue-in-cheek

battle between robotic
armies who are as quick
with an insult as they are

with machine guns.

Civilization Il
(MicroProse)
id Meier has made fascinating
games on almost every subject imag-
inable, but Civ II 1s his magnum
opus. No game has ever had a greater tagline
than “Build an empire to stand the test of

time.” Not much we'd rather do.

RUNNER-UP:

Fantasy General
(SSI)

SSI’s General games have leeched more hours
out of hex wargamers than any creations in

recent memory. The fantasy edition is the most

involving incarnation yet.

The Pandora
Directive
(Access Software)

his one has it all: gumshoes, G-men,

and alien greys. Tex Murphy is back

in his trenchcoated, athletic-shoed
glory on the trail of the massive Roswell con-
troversy. With a twisting, teasing storyline and
impressive graphics, this adventure game flew

higher than a cigar-shaped UFO.

RUNNER-UP:
Spycraft

(Activision)

The Cold War is over, but the world is just as
dangerous—which makes Spycraft as relevant
as it is engrossing. Charged with thwarting a
plot to throw post-Communist Russia into po-
litical chaos, you employ a fascinating array of
real-world espionage tools to make the world
safe for democracy. With the creative participa-
tion of former KGB head Oleg Kalugin and the
late William Colby, former CIA director,

Spycraft is ambitious, suspenseful, and well

worth playing.

The Elder Scrolls:
Daggerfall
(Bethesda SoftWorks)

umors about the death of the RPG

may have been exaggerated. Just

when we were digging through our
stacks looking for the nostalgic warmth of
Ultima IV, Bethesda finally released its rich,
enormous follow-up to Elder Scrolls: Arena.
With wide-open character generation and goal-
setting, Daggerfall promises hundreds of hours
of fresh gameplay in a challenging environment.

We're stocking plenty of torches.

Virtual Pool from MacPlay bas all Five hundred years ago, Europe's

eS a
- Lonquesl :;
Nea Corid \ ax@e
ame—and then some. Features 3 eae of a new world. MacPlay’s Conquest

the angles and shots of the real conquering heroes pursued dreams

4 great pool games, full-motion- of the New World is a strategy game

video library, realistic physics and where you command explorers,

peg geometry, easy multiplayer modes,

"= The Ultimate 3D Pool Simutator

settlers and mercenary soldiers as
realistic 3-D perspective and they discover a new world and
graphics plus a musical jukebox. build the ultimate nation.

You Don’t Know Jack, Volume 2, In Zork Nemesis, you're beckoned

is the hilarious sequel to the orig- to the Forbidden Lands, a cursed
inal award-winning game. This world occupied only by the tortured
Jack comes complete with 800 spirits trapped there. Travel through

all-new questions, new question 5 mind-bending worlds to discover

types, celebrity guest appearances, the ancient secret of alchemy that

new features and more. From | ’ ne will free the trapped souls from

Berkeley Systems. evil’s grip. From Activision.

The best CD-ROM game of 932 A.D—
Monty Python and the Quest for the
Holy Grail from 7th Level, Inc. It will

MacSoft’s Terminal Velocity offers

h icenecerecinnteata secre

fast 3-D texture-mapped graphics,
Jull 360-degree flight movement

and 7 weapons of extraordinary take you on a romp through King

destruction as you fight your way Arthur's England, uncovering clues,

through 9 unique planets with an solving puzzles and playing whole-

awesome array of air-to-air and some games like “Burn the Witch”

Includes the Never Before Performed
Kare, Baan be Wap Scenet

air-to-ground combat action. i _ ai = cand “Spank the Virgin.”

0-80 RON att

gate!

Westwood Studios’ Command and

Tank Commander by Eidos

Conquer takes you into a gritty,

Interactive slams you into the cock- 7

high-tech world where the art of pit of an M1 Abrams tank as you

electronic intelligence and covert test your split-second-decision

surveillance reigns supreme. Where

skills against enemy tanks in over

guerrilla strategies and savage com- * 25 fully textured missions. Destroy

T-72, Leopard and Challenger tanks ©

bat are the norm. Muster forces and ~

lacerate your enemies to the bone. with over 7 weapons.

With its incredibly realistic flight Origin Systems’ Wing Commander

THE BRISE SF FREESSM

models, 3-D photo-realistic land- IV is one of the latest space-combat

scapes and the use of real-world games for the Mac. Take on the role
physics, Flight Unlimited re-creates of Colonel Blair, played by Mark

the most accurate sensation of Hamill in breathtaking space bat-

aerobatic flying ever experienced tles and heart-pounding drama, as

on the Macintosh. For best results, you fight your way through the most

play before lunch. som. Spectacular Wing Commander yet.

S@ &f&# 8 Baaetats=s Seaene

Get ready tor the biggest adrenaline rush of the holiday season. We're talking new games
for the Mac: We're also talking sweaty palms. Heart-pounding exhilaration. Stomach-in-

the-throat thrills —the works. And here’ the best part: with thousands of titles to choose
from, you may never come down from that gaming high. Piqued your interest? Good.

logo, Mac, Macintosh. the Mac OS logo and Power M

So now youre probably wondering how to get your twitching fingers on these games. Just visit stores like CompUSA, Staples, Micro Center and Fry’s

Electronics. Or, flip through any Mac mail-order catalogs. Or, hop on the Net. But no matter where you go to find them, remember to look for the smiling
Mac OS logo. (All great software wears this face.) If youre ready to take your adrenal glands on the ultimate ride, visit www.macsoftware.apple.com. And
learn more about games for your Macintosh’ and how to find them. Of course, if you want to, you can always use a phone: call 800-500-4862.

r Inc. All Otber products are (rademarers or re ered (rd ink )

CHOICE

. EDITORS’

BEST SIMULATION

Afterlife

(LucasArts)

ime waits for no man, but it’s com-

forting knowing that heaven has

such friendly and efficient adminis-
trators. As for the poor souls that end up
“headed south,” things get sticky real fast.
Afterlife is flat-out entertaining, something

fewer and fewer games are these days. Fine fun
for saints and sinners alike.

BEST FLIGHT SIM

AH-64D Longbow

(Electronic Arts)

hat’s right—this year’s Top Gun tro-

phy goes to a craft that never gets

above the hard deck. Jane’s Combat
Simulations’ AH-64D Longbow is the most in-

volving, you-are-there experience in the air this
year. Its stunning terrain, edge-of-seat missions,
and teeth-gritting gameplay were second to
none (a good thing, since there are no points
for...well, you know).

BEST DRIVING SIM
Grand Prix Il

(MicroProse)

ith its deft mix of graphic treats,

sterling simulation, and down-

home testosterone, Grand Prix II
was the winner by several lengths. Plenty of gas
in this tank for both obsessive feature-tweakers
and arcade enthusiasts.

BEST COMBAT SIM

MechWarrior 2:
Mercenaries
(Activision)

xpanding on its glorious

MechWarrior 2 (PC Games’

Game of the Year, 1995),
Activision puts you in command of a merc
outfit selling its services to the highest bidder,
With new mechs, new environments, and a
stepped-up 3D facelift, Mercen-
aries improves what was already
one of gaming’s most thrilling
simulations.

RUNNER-UP:
Wing
Commander
iV

(Origin)

When they finally get around to
writing the book on the pioneers of
interactive entertainment, the Wing
Commander series is going to fill a
nice, thick chapter. The fourth installment, a lav-
ish, well-executed space opera, carries the series
forth in fine style.

BEST SPORTS GAME
Links LS
(Access Software)

olfers had reason to rejoice with the

release of Links LS. Its stunning

photorealistic courses and astound-
ingly real physics are sharper than anything else
we've seen. We spent more time on these digital
links than we did in any virtual ballpark, grid-
iron, rink, or stadium this year.

BEST BRAIN.

Chessmaster 5000
(Mindscape)

indscape’s Chessmaster series has

long been the standard by which

chess games are judged, and the
newest entry checkmates the competition.
Featuring a comprehensive tutorial section and
a complete online gaming package, this cham-
pion’s nearly unbeatable.

HF you play only one real RPG this year, it will have fo be...

A GURPS Postnuciear Adventure

“Fallout has everything necessary to be the best roleplaying game of all time”

~ — Next Generation
or. EE : Coming Soon for
| aeer seine ? ri | www.interplay.com | Win 95/ D0S, and Mac

© 1996 Interplay Productions. Fallout: A GURPS Postnuclear Adventure and Interplay are trademarks of Interplay Productions. All rights reserved.
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Used under license by Interplay. All rights reserved.

0
te
°)
:
Q
w

CHOICE

Warbirds

(Interactive Creations)

arbirds continues to be the model

for what an online game should

be: endlessly entertaining. Our
week would be much duller without the
promise of Thursday night sorties. May the
wired gaming community of tomorrow be as
much fun to fly as Warbirds’ skies are today.

RUNNER-UP:

Multiplayer
Battletech: Solaris

(Kesmai)

Kesmai/Aries’ MPBS is easy to learn and fun to
play...and play...and play. Better yet, it’s a ter-
rific place to “hang.” From the bar where
Mech Warriors swap tales of battlefield slag-
gings to the warzones themselves, Battletech:
Solaris is not just a great game, but a great
community.

BEST PERIPHERAL
Gravis GriP

(Advanced Gravis)

ave GrlP, will travel. This handy

four-way gameport is a must for

multiplayer gaming at the same ma-
chine. Sure, this is the age of modems and on-
line gaming and such, but there’s nothing like
scoring on a breakaway goal past your buddy’s
supine goalie, then turning and indicting his
manhood eye to eye. The GrlP is the peripheral
getting the most use in our office, and we sus-
pect that will be true for a while to come.

RUNNER-UP:

SideWinder

Gamepad

(Microsoft)
While its DOS-shell compatibility
is variable, the Microsoft pad is a
must-have Windows 95 gaming
accessory. The DOS Militia
may decry Win 95 from hill to MRSC
hill, but it’s rapidly becoming
the gaming OS of choice. The
SideWinder pad is its finest peripheral.

Falcon Mach V

(Falcon Northwest)

hen we pop the shrinkwrap on

the latest game in our mailbin, we

head straight to the Mach V to
put it through its paces. Built first and foremost
with gamers in mind, the Mach V is the best
gaming rig we looked at this year.

BEST COMPONENT
Verite 3D
Accelerator
(Rendition)

nce you've seen a game turbo-

charged by the Vérité chipsetand

BIOS, it’s hard to go back.
Rendition’s technology is the best of the
first-gen 3D acceleration bumper crop thus
far, turning pixelated terrain into full-blown
landscapes and simulated environments into
something damn near reality. Though its
competition is getting tough, the Vérité

January 1997 * PC GAMES

technology should continue to sear
gamer eyeballs throughout 1997 as
it appears on graphics cards from
Creative Labs, Sierra, Intergraph,
and other hardware vendors.

RUNNER-UP:

GameLAN

(Apexx Technology)
Those of us who routinely subvert office pro-
ductivity by using our LANs for games have all
wished we could rig the thing up at home and
indulge in a weekend of War and Waste.
GameLAN 1s a simple, relatively affordable net-
work designed to let gamers set themselves up
with a personal LAN. It’s what we’ve used most
of the year for our in-house fragfests, and its
performance has been topnotch.

BREAKTHROUGH HARDWARE

SideWinder
GamePad

ust the facts, ma’am: it’s affordable,

it’s user-friendly, and it’s ridiculously

easy to install, use, and configure for
all your Win 95 games. You can daisy-chain sev-
eral pads for multigaming without having multi-
ple joystick ports. It’s the perfect model of what
“plug-and-play” was supposed to be all along,
and destined to be the prototypical peripheral of
the plug-and-play era. Si

The countdown

has begun.

cE a

can stop

BATA

ae ¥
a ae.
aN ot % + URN as

COMING MARCH 1997
or your FREE CD-ROM demo call 1.800.258.3800

or reach us at http:/ / www.thearrival.com
An Enteraktion/HavokWare Production © 1996 Enteraktion, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

-
—
—
—
——
—
—
—
———
oe
el
See

LIVE

INTERACTIVE

A LIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

Ss
=

PATIENT 33-S: Received multiple
treatments for injuries sustained
while participating in “Rocket War”
Reconstructive surgery corrected most
facial bones destroyed by repeated
encounters with rockets, cement walls
and pylons. Skin grafts from buttocks
region replaced epidermal tissue
burned off by jet exhaust.

PATIENT 4-0: Treated for severe
lacerations received when he was
knocked off his rocket by competitor’s
cable while “Rocket Racing” Rhinoplasty
and ear reconstruction were also
necessary, as patient’s face was smashed
repeatedly against the ground and walls
while traveling in excess of 100 mph.

PATIENT 98-B: Treated for massive head
trauma suffered after ramming his
rocket into an exploding ball while playing
“Rocket Ball” The accident completely
welded his eye sockets shut and tore 90%
of the skin off his face. Needless to
say, this was no ordinary “lift and tuck”

FOR A FREE WINDOWS ‘95 DEMO OR TO ORDER
ROCKET JOCKEY DIRECT, CALL 1.888,SEGASOFT
WWW.SEGASOFT.COM

Science logo, Rocket Jockey and the Rocket Jockey logo are trademarks of Rocket Science Games, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Lie
i
He

iy He

y Hi My i i i
oe i

omputer games arent spontaneously generated in a Toys “R’ Us

landfill. They were never the contents of Pandora's box. And they

arent a neo-communist plot to reduce the intelligence of American
youth to the moron level. They're the inspired and dedicated work of thou-
sands of talented people whose main goal in life (after retiring wealthy at
38) is to bring you involving, provocative, polished, and revolutionary inter-
active entertainment.

To recognize these human dynamos behind the high-tech, PC Games
created the Murphy Awards (named after Tex Murphy, one of the first
live-video characters in a computer game). In contrast to our product-
oriented Editors’ Choice Awards, the Murphys honor the people who con-
tinue to make computer games one of the most remarkable creative

pursuits of the 20th century.

“se release, and with neve oi cave key people to, persis buiivideal projects, this
_. SS ee ee revolution (not to men-

: ican blast that was Doom. Quake’s technology will be the sg standard for a
a long time to come. We have a feeling these boys aren’t done writing the industry's future

- deepest thanks ; mi congratulations. And from network managers across America, curses
withoutend.

After a round of full-motion-video games
mostly notable more for their technology than
their entertainment value, the industry saw a
backlash that resulted in a lightweight year for
video-driven games. Is FMV dead? We don’t
think so. Developers just need to re-evaluate the
role that conventional storytelling and acting
should play in an interactive environment.

Still, a slow FMV year meant that no
performers jumped off the screen to capture
our imagination. On the upside, we’ve already
seen a couple of early FMV contenders that
suggest 1997 will be a much better year for
digitized acting.

The Pandora
Directive
As our awards’ namesake, Tex, Chris Jones
didn’t exactly stretch his acting chops in this

THE 3RD ANNUAL MURPHY AWARDS

sequel to Under A Killing Moon. Still, the full-
motion video in The Pandora Directive—cre-
ated in collaboration with director Carr and
co-designer Conners—was the best of the year’s
otherwise so-so entries.

If anyone doubts that computer games lack the
visual sophistication of other art forms, let them
look at 9. Ryden’s art direction of this sumptu-
ous adventure spawned images of audacious
creativity. Who needs photorealism when fan-
tasy looks this good?

The Neverhood

Clay animation has rarely looked better on
any screen, let alone a monitor. Designer
TenNapel and animators Ciccone and
Dietz (supported by art colleagues Mark
and Tim Lorenzen, Brian Belfield, and
Edward Schofield, along with armature de-
signer Peter Marinello) handcrafted every
frame of The Neverhood, and it’s dazzling.

_ Directive

The Neverhood

This finely crafted game moves to the playful
beat of a wonderful ragtime soundtrack. Like
so many other trends that The Neverhood
bucks, its music seems decades out of place
for the interactive era. So what? Taylor’s inge-
nious retro score creates an audio environ-
ment that perfectly complements the rich

fantasy of Klaymen’s quest.

‘Pandora

The Pandora
Directive

No sooner are the trenchcoat and
slouch hat comfortably in place than
Tex Murphy finds himself in the middle
of a frightening web of intrigue. From
rain-slicked city streets to the deep
abyss of an alien tomb, The Pandora
Directive teases, grabs, and satisfies. It’s
an ode to the benefit that good writing

can bring to a game.

35750 8:99/99 §
“49750 9:10710

Duke Nukem 3D
Granted, the guy didn’t have to do a lot of
work in providing the voice of Duke Nukem;
but what he did was priceless and peerless—it’ll
inform the vocabulary of action gamers for
years to come. Duke’s riotous deadpan is the
spark of life that separates Duke from the mass
of 3D shooters released this year. “Cool.”

Steven Spielberg's
Director Chair

No contest on this one.

<a | EE | a ~
50 adrenaline-pounding mission olurs

Lock and load with over 25 armaments
_ including: guided missiles, fuel-air
mortars and plasma cannons!

TO 16 PLAYER ANA;

DEATHMATCHES, TEAM MI

ted exclusively by Inte

rplay Productions

BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS.”

EIPIE Pre INE

a5 ==

= EE

== i= MUCH Me re = = KL ==

DURE NU RErESEEPELEPOMIEIPEPAR
SOMEcEES

—— == ails new. Tropes: with new levels new-weapons and new- aliens to splat, from the =
es anginal creators. Full version of Duke Nukem 3D tequired.1f you don’t already have the full version

¢ Explore 11 new levels, several
based on current hit-movies
= oS all new enemies get their
butts kicked by Duke’s steel-
toed boots

¢ Smell steaming entrails as Duke’s..

new microwave cannon fries and
explodes those alien bastards

De ome by

www.3dreaims.com

¢ Hear aliens squeal as Duke

aborts their entire race -in-one
of two hilarious and controversial
new:cinematic:scenes

“Learn more about Duke’s
philosophy as he cracks dozens |

of new one-liners (Duke Talk):
e Exciting new special effects,

www.ten.net

_ of Duke Nukem 3D, crawl out from-under-your-rock-and-_buy-_the-Duke-Nuken:-sD-Atomic:Edition.

including deadly lightning and

new features such as simulated
multiplayer games (against up to 7
other Dukes) on a single computer

¢ Other Duke-approved stuff: Duke
Win95 themes, 5 Duke Screen
savers, 6 Duke jigsaw puzzles
and image Carousel

Distributed by
GT Interactive Software
16: EAST 40TH-ST., NEW YORK. NY 10016

www.gtinteractive.com

61996 3D Reaims Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively by GT Interactive Software Corp. Total Entertainment
Network, TEN and the TEN logo are trademarks of T.E.Network; Inc.:All-other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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THE MOST MULTIPLAYER GAMES ON THE INTERNET

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PRIZES

Gaming Over the Internet

ell, we finally have a truly useful reason for the existence of the Internet—blowing up our
friends, neighbors and total strangers all over the Net. For any hard-core gamer, that sure beats
Web surfing (or crawling, really) and IRC chat.

Both TEN and Mplayer—the two most high-profile Net-based gaming services—are officially
moving out of the testing stage and becoming full-fledged Internet gaming services. So finally,
gaming over the Net has hit the mainstream, with plenty more to come. But with the choices
you have right now and other new services approaching, what's right for you?

There are a number of questions you need to answer before you decide on one source for
your Internet gaming. Which service has the most games that appeal to you? As important or

/ even more so, what type of connection do you have? For instance, | live out in the country, sev-
eral hundred miles away from a major city, so my Internet choices are not exactly striking, but
most gamers probably have several different Internet service providers (ISPs) that they could
use. Or maybe you have an online service like AOL or Prodigy. For the latter, you really have
only one choice right now—Engage, which should be appearing on both services by the time
you read this. One more question: How much do the services cost?

ISP users will have to come to grips with the ideas of latency, pings, and lag (for in-depth in-

| formation on these concepts, see David Gerding’s article in this month’s Technobabble). If your
connection to the Net is clean and solid, all the services should work quite well for you most of
the time, and you stand in what might be referred to as an “ideal situation.” But if your ISP is a

By Jason D’Aprile

little on the spotty-and-gritty side at times (and most are at some point), then you get to see
how clever those programmers in the back room really are.

VERVIEW: Total Entertainment
Network—more familiarly, TEN—is the
first widespread, well-known commercial
Internet gaming service, notable not so
much for its high-profile marketing as for
Duke Nukem 3D. TEN’s exclusive five-
year deal with 3D Realms assures the ser-
vice a top spot among hard-core action
fans and gives it an enviable ace up its
sleeve, along with some of the most im-
pressive, big-name multiplayer games of
any of the services. TEN also has the
AD&D Dark Suns role-playing gaming
| world, with a full one-year exclusive to it.
TEN works with current Internet
providers to minimize latency, and moves
servers closer to users by having three main
servers in different parts of the country (the
East and West Coast areas, with the middle
ground being taken up by the Chicago
server). TEN isn’t quite as latency-friendly as
Mplayer, however. When you log on and en-
ter different game rooms, you'll have to con-

tend with Mr. Bandwidth, the icon used to

represent all the Internet gam-
ing concerns. Mr. Bandwidth
will tell you how good your
connection is based on a few

criteria, and if it doesn’t quite

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cut it, he won’t let you play.
TEN offers direct-dial numbers
throughout the country, but
charges almost a dollar an
hour extra for using them
(which should put a noticeable
smile on Mr. Bandwidth’s little
alien face, not to mention TEN’s investors).

When you do get a solid connection, however,
good game quality is usually fairly easy to find.
Sure, playing Duke over TEN isn’t going to match
the speed and quality of an office network, but
most of the time the playability 1s quite good. In
the future, TEN will be looking to expand its
front-end interface by embedding a full-fledged
Web browser in the software and, eventually, mov-
ing to make the interface take advantage of
Internet-specific technologies such as Java to im-

prove performance and features.

; ' Wewsg FPOY reparts TEN-related staries,
i} | Gane fire keeps you up ta date on new games
amd the like. and dok 477. 2 ix « hints and tips
. } colamn to improve the [EN experience

CURRENT GAMES: Duke Nukem 3D,
Quake, Deadlock, Dark Suns, Necrodome,
Warcraft, Terminal Velocity, Panzer General,
Command and Conquer.

UPCOMING TITLES: Shadow Warrior,
Blood, Prey, Big Red Racing, Total Mayhem,
Confirmed Kill, Deathtrap Dungeon, SimCity
2000, Falcon 4.0, Top Gun, Silencer, Jagged
Alliance: Deadly Games, CivNet, WizBall
RATES: The first 25,000 TEN customers will
be able to take advantage of special half-price

charter rates. There are two rate plans:

Internet Gaming

Hourly Rate Plan: $4.95
monthly fee (regular rate:

$9.95 monthly fee). Includes

5 hours a month. $0.95 per

additional hour (regular rate:
$1.95 per hour) and an additional $0.95 per
hour when connecting via a TEN local-access
number (provided by the Concentric Network).
Flat-Rate Plan: $14.95 monthly fee (regular rate:
$29.95 monthly fee) provides unlimited hours

(plus an additional $0.95 per hour if connecting

VERVIEWE Mplayer doesn’t have quite as
impressive a list of coming attractions as
TEN, but it has a number of advantages in
terms of user-friendliness. Rather than both-
ering you with a Mr. Bandwidth-like restric-
tive entity, Mplayer simply marks gaming
rooms that your connection is unfit for. And
all of Mplayer’s game servers reside on
PSInet’s Internet backbone. “We use the ad-
vanced features of the Internet, like frame re-

lay, to [send data more directly to Mpath

,” says Paul Matteucci, Mpath’s presi-
dent and CEO. “That decreases the latency.

Plus, we create permanent virtual circuits—

servers

all of the game packets are tagged with prior-
ity so that they don’t have to wait in line at a
router behind e-mail or a file download.”
Mplayer also has a more cohesive social
environment. You choose the game you

want to play and click to go to its specific

battle.net

(www.battle.net)
CURRENT GAMES: Diablo, Starcraft
Much like Microsoft's Gaming Zone (see
page 79), battle.net is simply a place on the
Internet to play the games of one particular
company. But since the company is Blizzard
and the games are Diablo and Starcraft,
battle.net is sure to be one of the most
popular sites for some time to come. What
it is, essentially, is a grouping site. Come to
play Diablo and the server automatically
matches you up with players who have
good connections in relation to you.
battle.net will be a free service and will
be shipping with Diablo.

via a TEN local-access number).

PLUSES: The 3D Realms deal (which includes
Duke 3D), plus the overall amount of new high-
profile games coming to the service. Dark Suns
Online ts one of the very few graphics-based RPGs
on the Net, and its AD&D-based system/world is
one of the best known in the gaming community.
MINUSES: TEN is noticeably more finicky
than any of the other services about latency issues.
As a result, those with Internet connections that

have a tendency to be spotty are going to have a

server; from there,
you either wait in
the main lobby
and chat, enter a

/
+3
t
;
1
q
|
;
|

room that’s al-
ready been created,
or create a room
yourself. Once
you've made a
room, you Can
lock it, then invite
members in

with Mplayer’s
“pager”—much
like a private mes-
sage in a chat room. Also, within these rooms, you
can use your PC’s microphone to actually send
voice chat. (Right now, only MechWarrior 2 al-
lows the use of this feature during gameplay; press
the Scroll Lock to talk.)

For the most part, Mplayer games run excep-
tionally well. Action games like MechWarrior 2
play very smoothly, even with a less-than-sterling
connection. Yet, most users are found in one of
two places: the Quake server or Command and
Conquer. C&C runs great most of the time, and
Quake usually runs well.

CURRENT GAMES: Quake, Command
and Conquer, C&C: Covert Operations, Warcraft,
Terminal Velocity (shareware only), MechWarrior
2 (Win 9S version)

UPCOMING TITLES: Diablo, War Wind,
Panzer General (online only), Deadlock, Battleship,
Big Red Racing, Havoc, Monopoly, Q-Ball (Quake
modification exclusive to Mplayer), Risk, Scrabble,
SimCity 2000 Network Edition

RATES: Mpath Interactive's Mplayer is offering
limited-time charter rates to everyone who signs up
by Jan. 31, 1997. Basic pricing for charter members
is $7.95 for 5 hours, $.99 for each additional hour.
Charter price for unlimited usage is $19.95 per

month or $199.95 for a year. Standard pricing be-

hard time with Duke, Quake, and other fast-action
games (and TEN tends to fall back on its pay-by-
the-hour direct-connect numbers to make up for
it). Given the number of different ISPs throughout
the country, this is a big problem—one that TEN
will either have to deal with very soon or risk los-
ing potential customers. Also, the non-charter rates
are rather expensive, especially when you add them
to the cost of your ISP subscription. And TEN’s
social interface 1s far more basic than those of its

competition.

gins Feb. 1, 1997; the rates are as follows: $9.95 for
S hours per month ($1.95 each additional hour),
$19.95 for 15 hours a month ($1.25 each addi-
tional hour), $29.95 a month for unlimited access,
and $299.95 for 12 months of unlimited access. All
members will receive 10 free hours when they sign
up for the service.

PLUSES: Mplayer deals with latency issues very
well and has a user-friendly, social air to it. Also im-
portant 1s the fact that Mplayer has a live, online
customer-support server, so you always know
where to go for help. MechWarrior 2, C&C,
Quake, War Wind, and Diablo are all solid, higher-
profile Internet games for the service, and I gener-
ally found Quake to run better over Mplayer than
on TEN. You could probably get a better game on
a dedicated Quake server if everyone had a great
connection, but on Mplayer you won't be bothered
with any of the technical work yourself.
MINUSESS Since action games are really the
cash cows of this market, TEN’s 3D Realms deal
will tend to overshadow what looks to be a
steady flow of Mplayer games, most of which are
middle-range titles. That means Mplayer is going
to have to get some seriously attractive exclu-
sives, and soon. As with TEN, the non-charter

pricing plan is rather expensive as well.

HIP Me
SiGAMIRAN AI

ic monsters, clever characters, and
rprise with every passing day.

And little else.

www. arcadium.com

Connect. Swap strategies. Post cheats. Get personal. Basically, feed your obsession.
And your greed. Win stuff by logging directly onto www.arcadium.com/pc__games

se) Internet Gaming }

ee ee | a

EVERYWHERE WITH EVERYONE

» Welcome to the ENGAGE games online Beta Lesters’ area!

+ NOW available for. Play!:

. ttF “ f Pilees: ; =t
6 ° Warsrall ID Tides of Darsaicss DUSIL) GE

5 © Castles I: Siege and Corquest OEFLO Ly)

» fs = |
© Llescent Urine

VERVIEW: Engage has two aces in

its hole: exclusive access to Interplay

Microsoft's
The Gaming Zone
(www.zone.com)

titles, and exclusive access to the wildly

popular Warcraft II. Plus, Engage is being

designed to be easily accessible—it won’t
just be on the Internet, but AOL and CURRENT GAMES: Various card
and board games, Hellbender,
Monster Truck Madness, Close
Combat, and any future Internet-
playable games from Microsoft
The same concept as battle.net,
the Zone is mainly a place to play
the new Internet-compatible
Microsoft games. Go to the Zone’s
Web site, click on the game you
want to play (both the full and trial
versions have their own servers),
and you'll find yourself at a chat
room where you can join or create
games to play. The site automati-
cally tells you the quality of your
connection by putting a colored
dot above the player listing—if it’s
green, you're all set, yellow is mid-
dle of the road, and red is a defi-
nite no way. It’s all very simple,
but doesn’t always work right yet.
Still, it’s a smart step in the right
direction, and Microsoft has ex-
pressed a strong commitment to
making sure the Zone improves
and grows. This matching service
is, of course, completely free, but
you need Microsoft's Internet
Explorer to play.

Prodigy as well.

As far as latency issues, Engage presi-
dent Jeff Leibowitz says: “We’re generally
pretty comfortable at anything under a
second. The services usually give us any-
where from 300 to 800 milliseconds in
latency, and all of our games play very,
very well in that space, so we don’t really
need a traditional low-latency solution,
although we are working with the
Concentric Network for people who
do want truly low-latency systems.”

Descent and Rolemaster: Magestorm,
the two Engage titles I tested over the
Internet, both played great, with virtually
no latency problems at all. Working with
AOL and Prodigy, however, has caused
some problems due to the fact that both
services are essentially chat-based, so
Engage’s launch for the two has been
delayed while certain latency issues are
resolved. When it is launched, though,
Engage will likely be integrated into the
overall interface of these online services.
Of course, until the new Internet rates are
set, you'll still be playing at the services’
normal connection rates (AOL gamers
can take advantage of the new flat rate of
$18.95 per month, though).

Engage will be broader than the other
Net gaming services in terms of its social

structure, with things like the Human

January 1997 * PC GAMES
79

+ BEM

ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE

.Finally.a game that

lets us boldly go
| ,.where we've
- wanted to go
the whole time.” |
* computer gaming world

™ & © Par. Pic.

al elicit

GREAT

HTB}

Duke Nukem 3-D
Arcade Style 5077607
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Strategy Game Hockey

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9089701
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etre ae

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Important! Did you remember to choose PC or Mac? Will your selections run on your system?

Social Studies: Building

An Online Community
One of the major focuses of online gaming
services, aside from the games, is the idea of
bringing more social interaction onboard. All
three services feel that this aspect of multi-
player gaming is absolutely paramount to their
success of its service. So what is each one
doing about it?

TEN was initially focusing on games with only
utilitarian chat rooms, but has since added Quake
clans and ranking systems (like Mplayer), online
contests, editorial content in its Datasphere sec-
tion, and even user-content forums. TEN will be
expanding the social aspects of the Dark Suns
game by adding things such as guild rooms and
“trading” posts for game-item swapping. Also,
much like Mplayer has now, TEN will add the op-
tion for players to create their own chat rooms
and expand on the chatting options.

Engage obviously has major plans concerning
the social aspects of its service. “[We] feel that
[the social interaction element] is equal to or
more important than the games,” president Jeff
Leibowitz comments. “Community is really what
it's all about. When you put a game online it
becomes a magnet for social interaction. Over 50
percent of the traffic on game networks has tradi-
tionally been chat, so those kinds of elements are
perhaps the critical elements of what makes for a
successful game service. Of course, if you pull
away the games, the chat rooms won't be as
popular, so they're symbiotic.

“It's kind of like the feature-film industry in
that this will be a largely hit-driven business,”
Leibowitz says. “So, you do need the hits. On the
other hand, you need a nice ‘theater’ for people to
see those ‘movies’ in. If you have a really unat-
tractive, not-fun-to-be-in theater, people wont go;
they'll go to somebody else's and they may even
skip going to a movie they want to see because
your theater is unappealing. Having a nice envi-
ronment for the top content is really what we'll
focus on.”

Mplayer plans to expand by adding voice chat
to the pager function to create something like a pri-
vate phone booth, as well as generally improving
its interface. “Our goal here is to have technology
for communication, then places like chat rooms to
communicate,” explains CEO Paul Matteucci. “And
then to have excuses to communicate, which re-
quires the most creativity. You have to build all of
these [aspects] into the service for people to build
their own community online.” —JDA

Bean Café (actor
Michael Keaton 1s

actually a main

ber-café” chat room), comedy-based entertain-

ment at The Improv, and simulated gambling

at Caesar’s Palace Virtual Casino. Engage 1s

also broadening the role-playing-game field

with its original Rolemaster series, based on

the Iron Crown Enterprise game system. The

first of these, Magestorm, is a Doom-style

shooter where you create a wizard character

TRANSLUCENT
_TexTiRE
MAPPING

and try to take over pools of power and

destroy the power centers of the other mages,

all the while gaining experience levels and

SCHEDULED GAMES: Descent Online,
Descent Into Undermountain, Castles 2,
BattleChess: 4000, Rolemaster: The Bladelands,

Total Control Football, Caesar’s Palace Virtual

Casino, Warcraft II, Rolemaster: Magestorm,

Splatterball, The Improvisation Online, U.S.

Chess Federation, Human Beans Café, Shattered
Steel, Slipstream 5000, Billboard Live!, AD&D:

™ UNPRECEDENTED
cLoRKinG
EFFECTS

RATES: No extra charge for playing through

AOL and Prodigy, but as of now, the charge for

directly playing through the Internet is described

as “competitive” (expect somewhere under

$2.50 an hour). A full-fledged launch campaign

will start in January, but the service should be

fully functional by the end of November, with

10 games by the end of the year and 1 to 2 new

games each month.
PLUSES: An impressive lineup of games,
especially with Warcraft II and Descent Online,

in addition to plenty of original titles like

Magestorm. Interplay’s steady flow of multi-

player-ready games will be exclusive to Engage

and ensure that the service will grow. The

games that I had a chance to test—Descent

Online and Magestorm—ran nearly perfect,

and this was before even the official beta-

MINUSESS The Internet rates haven’t been

determined yet, but is it really going to be cost-

effective to play over AOL or Prodigy even if

using Engage won’t cost you extra? Engage’s

“...a STAR TREK sim

worthy of a place.
beside the Wing *
Commanderard

Star Wars games.”

“all things to all users” ideology may not work

entirely to its benefit. There is such a thing as

spreading yourself too thinly, and it’s open to

speculation whether people really want to

spend their time interacting with each other in

chat-only environments when they could be

interacting in games.

MS-DOS® AND WINDOWS?’ 95 CD-ROM | A
HTTP:/WWW.ACTIVISION.COM C | ISION.

Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. © 1996 Activision, Inc. MechWarrrior, BattleTech, BattleMech and ’Mech are registered trademarks and Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries is a trademark of
FASA CORPORATION. © 1996 FASA CORPORATION. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective holders.

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Players somes View Window selp

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Robert Heywood 4)

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DemonKanighil Kevin Kissier
Descrniile Michael J. Yiiell
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S loining chat channel ®chat -flyguy- y
flyguy<?PG>> u outer tim? _= et
a Navegaite> ANYONE FOR EF-20007777? *

For Hele, press F1

VERVIEW: Kali is an IPX emulator,

not a service like TEN and the others. It’s

a little program that enables your
Internet connection to fool a game into think-
ing that it is hooked up to an IPX network.
The reason why Kali is a great thing for gamers
who can use it is that most MPG games have
an IPX network mode for multiplay. That’s not
to say that Kali will run all of them—it won’t.
But it will enable you to play a varied selection,
as its games list suggests.

Simply download the software from the
Kali site, pay the creator of Kali, Jay Cotton,
a $20' shareware fee, and that’s it—no more
fees. There are three versions of Kali:
KaliDOS, Kali95, and a Macintosh version.
The downside of Kali, and the inherent ad-
vantage of services like TEN and Mplayer, 1s
that it simply isn’t all that user-friendly. You
have to manually keep track of ping times for
the server, yourself, and the other players,
along with proper game execution and various
other things that the services do automatically.
Also, Kali servers are essentially general
servers (there are very few servers for specific
games), so you have to search around for peo-
ple who want to play the same game you do.
Also, some major games just don’t run all that

well—Duke is far better on TEN, for example.

CURRENT GAMES: Warcraft and Warcraft
I], Descent and Descent II, Command and
Conquer, Deadlock, MissionForce: CyberStorm,
Duke Nukem 3D, NetMech (MechWarrior 2),
MW2: Mercenaries, Big Red Racing, and many

other IPX games

PLUSESS That $20 one-time fee makes

Kali one of the best deals on the Internet.

Lots of games work over Kali, and the program
has gained an international community of play-
ers. Depending on the game, performance can
be as good as the other services, and Kali’s
function as a straightforward IPX emulator,
along with its low-key, fairly non-commercial
existence, makes the need for licensees and

marketing unnecessary.

MINUSESS Kali is definitely not for
everyone. The technical aspects of Internet
gaming that the other services try to keep in
the background tend to come right to the
forefront—especially latency issues—and tech
support is handled through e-mail only. Also,
Kali95 and KaliMac are still in the beta stages,
and are likely to be for some time. Not all
games are supported, particularly DirectX
games; however, Cotton says there will be

native Direct X support down the road.

PC Games tested the various gaming services using a Pentium
133 with 24MB of RAM; the connection was over a 28.8Kbps
modem. All tests were done via the EarthLink Network
through a link in West Virginia.

Interne

pee

alll

COMING THIS SPRING

for Win 95/DOS, Macintosh and PlayStation Game Console

STAR TREK

RATING PENDING

= ef: ,
ne € f 4aramoute Jricrlite

http://www.interplay.com
Starfleet Academy Software ©1996 Interplay Productions.
Trademarks and ©1996 Paramount Productions. All rights
reserved. Star Trek, Starfleet Academy and related marks
are trademarks of Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
MacPlay and Interplay are trademarks of Interplay
Productions. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. All
rights reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights are
properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

9
I
Nn

r | a |

THE YEAR IS 2020,

AND THE EARTH’S OZONE
LAYER IS CRUMBLING.

AS MANKIND HANGS ON
THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION,

A SUB-SPACE PROBE NAMED

ved.” Huygen’s Disclosure” created and produced by Microforum Inc: All trade-

HUYGEN MAY HAVE DISCOVERED

ONE LAST GLIMMER OF HOPE. Now

THE FIGHT TO SAVE THE EARTH WILL

TAKE YOU TO A MOON MORE THAN A

MILLION MILES FROM THE NEAREST SUN.

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ive owns. MADE IN CANADA

HUYGEN’S DISCLOSURE FEATURES
THESE EXCITING MICROFORUM INNOVATIONS:

DIMENSION TECHNOLOGY

SCALEABLE CHARACTERS REFLECT ACTUAL L¥Ys
PERSPECTIVE WHEN MOVING FROM FOREGROUND | 4°
TO BACKGROUND |
GROUP ACTIVATED INTELLIGENCE MODE (GAIM)
USER'S TEAMMATES FEATURE INDEPENDENT a
INTELLIGENCE, ALLOWING THEM TO REACT BASED| ae SS ce
ON THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT ae ar WE

of their respec

1 Woodborough Ave., Toronto, Ontario ans MOM SAT Comments, inquiries and suggestions are 0

trademark’s are the property

You can write to us-at:

—, . FOR A LIMITED
(FF | TIME ONLY!
Huygen’s
Disclosure
Limited Edition

Available direct from Microforum, this special
edition of Huygen’ s Disclosure includes:

“A special Limited Edition box |
, : ° The complete Huygen’ s Disclosure game

cA collection of Cheat ots on fuctics

meer rine game FoR MORE INFO ABOUT MICROFORUM
Fa . -_ e A collectible Huygen’ S Dielocure TShirt : OR TO ORDER DIRECT, CALL: 1-800-685-3863
pusS&H GE Tel: (416)656-9594 Fax:(416)656-0548
a = 3 + Original — $ Disclosure game artwork 7 INTERNET : http://www.microforum.com

S Email: mail@microforum.com

Right now, it’s the
hottest, bloodiest 3D
action game.

(id Software; 800-434-
2637; DOS CD; $45)

For serious chopper-sim aficionados,
Longbow’s a must-buy. (Origin
Systems; 800-245-4525; DOS CD;
$59.95)

Outrageous humor and stunning
graphics make this SimCity clone
heavenly. (LucasArts; 800-782-7927;
DOS/Win 95 CD; $54.95)

Love it or hate it, you’ve never
played an adventure game as a cock-
roach before. (Pulse Entertainment;
310-264-5579; Win CD; $54.95)

A wonderfully compelling upgrade
of the strategic conquest classic.
(MicroProse; 800-695-4263; Win
CD; $48.99)

A revolutionary tactical-level
military sim that’s reason enough
to have Win 95. (Microsoft; 800-
426-9400; Win 95 CD; $44.95)

Quake’s rival for the top first-person
action shooter—especially in multi-
player mode. (FormGen; 800-367-
6436; DOS CD; $39.99)

The newest entry in the General
series offers solid wargaming from
start to finish. (SSI; 800-601-7529;

DOS CD; $50)

Russia’s prime attack helicopter takes
to the skies. Fitted with awesome
firepower and impressive realism,

it’s a must-have for combat-sim fans.
(Interactive Magic; 800-699-4263;
DOS/Win 95 CD; $49.95)

As close to a real game of golf as
you can get—provided you’ve got

a speedy Pentium. (Access Software;
800-800-4880; DOS/Win 95 CD;
$79.95)

Tex Murphy returns in this engag-
ing sequel to Under A Killing
Moon. (Access Software; 800-800-
4880; DOS/Win 95 CD; $49.95)

Awesome sound effects and a com-
pelling story help make Terra Nova
the most immersive combat experi-
ence around. (Virgin; 800-874-4607;
DOS CD; $59.95)

This clay animation
adventure is an artistic

masterpiece.

(DreamWorks Interactive; 310-

234-7000; Win 95 CD; $54.95) ©

PC Games uses a letter-grade system to rate games. Everyone ve $ gone sto schoo!
knows what our grades mean without resorting to an in-depth explanation or clever chart:
an A+ is the best score possible and an F is a complete bust. To give you a better feel me,
the overall quality of a title, we rate each game in six key areas,

Gameplay: How good are the game's interface
and control scheme, and how much fun is it to play?
The most important element of the game.
Getting Started: How much reading, study-
ing, and hardware-tweaking are needed before you
can start to have fun? (The less the better.)
Graphics: How advanced and attractive are
the game's visual elements, and how well do
they match the game?

Sound Check: How good are the game's
sound effects and musical score, and how well
do they fit the game?

Overall Grade: Taking these factors into
account, how strongly do we recom-

mend the game for purchase?

Multiplayer: How easy is it to

use and how much fun is it as a mul-

tiplayer game? An independent rating.

This long-awaited sequel 1s sure to
please strategy fans. (Accolade; 800-
245-7744; Win 95/DOS CD;
$49.95)

Join Christopher Lloyd and a cast of
crazies for hilarious adventure with
superb production valves. (Virgin;

800-874-4607; DOS CD; $54.95)

A classic strategy game, made even
better with 24 new scenarios in the
add-on disc. (Blizzard Entertainment;
800-953-7669; DOS CD; Tides of
Darkness, $50; Beyond the Dark
Portal, $30)

Everything you could ask for in a
space sim—and then some. (Origin
Systems; 800-245-4525;

DOS CD; $55)

Real-time wargaming with excel-
lent AI and lots of humor. (Virgin;
800-874-4607; DOS CD
$54.99-$59.99)

The latest Zork once again redefines
(Activision; 800-
; DOS/Win 95 CD;

adventure gaming. (
477-3650
$49.95)

SEE MURE ONLINE
http://www.pcgames.com

LIST

Here s the
top 20
titles that
we ve
fated as
either

an A or A-
in the last
year.

See the

complete
1996 and

1995
A lists on

our Web
Site.

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mnbnn Cnttaiarn «*
ractive soTtware UO! v

GAWNMIE OF
THE MONTH

oonstruck starts out so sweet

and safe that you could just

vomit. The king’s head is a
happy face. His doormen are a
pair of chirpy armadillos. The
country 1s called Cutopia, and
you're building something called
a Cutifier.

Excuse me—is there a cute-
sickness bag in the house?

Indeed, you may think after the first 15 minutes
or so that Toonstruck is a misfiled children’s game.
I saw it early in its development, knew what was
coming, and still, was fooled good and proper. The
early scenes are so patently inoffensive that I kept
wondering when I was going to fill out a multipli-
cation table or outline a sentence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We’ve
been set up by experts. Toonstruck, the first release
from Virgin’s new Burst label, builds up the sugar
only to tear it down. This masterful hybrid of Who
Framed Roger Rabbit artistry and Day of the

Can you say “twisted”?

Tentacle-era LucasArts is a wicked production
number, golden with the promise of the medium
and the intelligence of its creators.

This two-CD animated adventure pairs Drew
Blanc (a filmed Christopher Lloyd) and Flux
Wildly (a high-spirited lavender blob with the voice
of Dan Castellanetta, TV’s Homer Simpson) on a
quest to save Cutopia from the clutches of the evil
Nefarious (the voice of Tim Curry).

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Actually,
Toonstruck starts in the real world. Drew ani-
mates the most saccharine of saccharine car-
toons, “The Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun Show.” For its
10th anniversary, his boss—that fellow famous
from commercials for his bore-you-to-death
voice—decrees there’s to be a “Fluffy & Friends”
show and orders Drew to produce its characters
by the next morning.

Drew is slaving over the project at 4 a.m.
when he finds the “Fluffy” cartoon inexplicably
on the air. On inspecting it more closely, he’s

Toonstruck

By Peter Olafson

Scarecrows have come a long way since
The Wizard of Oz.

sucked through the TV screen...and winds up ina

castle in Cutopia with his cartoon creation, Flux.
The king (the voice of M*A*S*H’s David Ogden
Stiers) hands the two the mission, and you’re on
your own.

And Cutopia—sickeningly sweet, Disney-esque
Cutopia—is just the beginning. You’ll also have to
explore Flux’s home, Zanydu, where you'll find an
octopus played by Dom DeLuise, and Nefarious’
strange Malevolands.

Once you’re out of the
castle, you'll begin to dis-
cover that everything is not
quite the sweetness and light
it appeared to be within. In
town, you'll find a bar with
an outrageous pipe organ
and a seemingly impossible-
to-catch mouse making faces
at the patrons. The bartender
speaks in an Irish accent in
one sentence and a Scottish
one in the next. a...

“That’s an interesting organ you have there,”
Drew tells him. “Auch!” says the bartender. “My
kilt’s riding up again, isn’t it?”

Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.

January 1997 * PC GAMES
88

tells the pair, when complimented on his cape.

Just south of town, you'll find a little bunny
with huge eyes who giggles every other sentence.
(Is that barf bag still around?) Talk about decon-
struction: She screams like a banshee because
someone gave her cotton candy instead of pop-
corn, tells you how cute her “poops” are, and
asks, “Want to sniff my sweet fluffy bottom?”
You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Flux’s
response is imbued with a certain amount of
Pee-Wee Herman.

To the west, an effeminate scarecrow resides.
“This old thing?”

this lispy creature

is that a Warner Bros.
cartoon? No way.

“Hate it. I call it Cape Fear.”
And then there’s the old horse at a nearby barn.

Unlike the cow and sheep who share the dwelling,

Elmer is “spe-

9 0e

cial,” “Special?”
asks the ever-
sensitive Flux. “I
just figured he
was a total
retard or something.”

No toe is immune from getting stepped on. The
euard at Zanydu’s fish-flushing outhouse does a
splendid Jack Webb routine. The dog at the Wacme
store can only be Ross Perot, and elsewhere I heard
echoes of Phil Silvers, Terence Stamp, and Dana
Carvey’s pumping-iron routine. Toonstruck makes
fun of everything—not least, cartoons.

The basic concept shouldn’t hold many sur-
prises. Using a
mouse, you
direct Drew
through 2D
scenes with Flux
in tow, collecting
objects in a bot-
tomless bag—
yeah, it’s an
Object Quest—
and using them
to solve puzzles
and satisty the
desires of your little animated pals. The “care-
crow” wants a new outfit. B.B. Wolf wants a bottle
of vino. Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun wants a beating.
(Just kidding: She wants popcorn.)

The artwork is classy throughout. Some of it
has a Tentacle-like cast—everything slightly out of

kilter—but it’s much richer and glossier. Some of

the animations, such as the face-making mouse at
the bar and the elephant that powers the shuttle to
Zanydu, recall some of Warner Brothers’ distinc-
tive theatrical shorts of the 1950s. And when our
heroes finally nail King Hugh’s arrogant foot-
man—literally a foot, with a set of eyes for each
toe —it reminded me of nothing so much as the
Wile E. Coyote cartoons of the same period.
Technologically, Toonstruck is just about flaw-
less. Lloyd is
melded seamlessly
into the back-
ground. The mu-
sic, consisting of
light classical
themes, is gen-
uinely lovely. The
voices are clear
and distinctive—
accompanied by
text, if you like.
The game feels

special; every bit of work that Burst piled into it

shows. The interface isn’t especially new, but the
developers didn’t make any real mistakes, and you
won’t make any either. It’s pure point-and-click,
and it’s difficult to imagine anyone needing to look
at a manual.

Objections? Well, I don’t want to spoil the
party, but for all the
good stuff, Toonstruck
isn’t quite laugh-out-
loud funny. Sure, it’s
consistently amusing,
but the timing doesn’t
approach the heights
that LucasArts reached
in its Monkey Island
games. (Admittedly, the
challenge of a talkie
adventure is greater
than one that’s only
written.)

I also wish it was

more creative in its responses when you use an ob-

ject in the wrong place. More often than not, it
tosses up a non-specific sound effect that’s out of
keeping with Toonstruck’s anything-for-a-laugh
ethic. And I’m not sure that the best use of
Christopher Lloyd is as a straight man for a little
lavender blob with green glasses. He doesn’t have
many chances to step out.

So there’s room for improvement. But not
much: By any standard, Toonstruck is one of the
year’s best and most daring adventures. Cutopia 1s
on the map, and Burst is off with a bang.

y GAMEPLAY:

) GETTING STARTED:

a GRAPHICS:

2 SOUND CHECK: a
“”

pa 6 MULTIPLAYER:

: Gorgeous. Outrageous. Fun.

Burst

Virgin Interactive Entertainment
800-874-4607
www.toonstruck.com

DOS CD

486/66 (Pentium 90 recom-
mended), 8MB RAM (16MB
rec.), DOS 5.0, Super VGA,

2X CD-ROM drive (4X rec.)

$59.95

You can't talk to Bricabrac until he

finds his glasses, and he won't know to
look in his pocket until after the Footman suggests it
to you. W The guards will drop the key to the king's
bedroom during their welcome dance. (Awtul, isn’t
it?) To open the trap door within, position Flux on
the loose floorboard in the storage room below and
step on the other end. W At the bar, chase the mouse
until he’s standing next to the trap. Play the organ to
make him dance and have Flux set off the trap. (Also,
don't forget to take the poor dazed critter with you.
He'll come in handy with a certain elephant.)

Once upon a time,
in an enchanted kingdom,

there lived a big bosomed

lacky and some gerbils.

Enter a severely fractured fairy tale.
Discworld” II: Mortality Bytes is the
graphic adventure with cheek. Over
100 hours of hilarious gameplay
immerse you in a bizarre realm where
dozens of bawdy characters face life
without Death. Yes, Death has gone on

holiday. And the hapless magician

&
~
oe
~
~

42415

Diseworld [1 features the voice «

f Monty-something-or-other. |
Rincewind must find a way to restore
order in the world. You'll be dazzled by
25,000 cells of hand-drawn animation.
You'll be delighted by the fiendishly
clever puzzles. You'll be deeply offended
by the vocal stylings of Eric Idle.
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes.

It’s magical. It’s enchanting. It’s sick.

MORTALITY BYTES! aR a a

OT TT ETT
ar PSYGNOSIS

www psygnosis-com

Discworld II ©1996 Perfect Entertainment Limited all rights reserved. Published under exclusive license by Psygnosis Ltd. Psygnosis ™ and the Psygnosis logo are trademarks of Psygnosis Ltd. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association
Any and all original and / or distinctive characters, features, likenesses and element appearing in the Discworld series on which this product is based are trademarks and ©Terry and Lyn Pratchett. “Discworld” is a trademark registered by Terry Pratchett

ACTION

aving parents with a bizarre sense of humor

is not necessarily a blessing. In Amok, a

Scavenger-developed action/arcade shooter, it’s
quite evident that the hero of the piece, Gert Staun,
suffered this problem. “Gert”—c’mon, what were
they thinking? Is the trauma caused by this
moniker a pivotal reason behind Gert’s desire to
jump into the pilot’s seat of an armored battle
walker, dubbed the Slambird, in an attempt to kick
off a new, bloody, but profitable war? Perhaps.

Planet Amok
has suffered 47
years of cor-
porate war.
The Bureau,
Gert’s em-
ployer, has benefited from this turmoil through
its position as a supplier and recruiter of mer-
cenaries and bounty hunters. However, the
profit machine has now ground to a peaceful
halt. By completing a series of nine missions,
each featuring various tasks and objectives,
you can see the benign corporations thrown
back into the melting pot of destruction. And,
once again, the Bureau will make a mint.

The mission briefings are well-presented, with
target objects highlighted. Tasks within a mission
must be completed in a logical order: For example,
you'll need to destroy the generator that powers a
force field before you can obliterate the fuel depot
behind it.

The Slambird can adopt two forms, land- and
sea-based. The ships have slight handling differ-
ences—taking your foot off the gas makes you glide
to a halt underwater, but you come to a dead stop
on land. Three different third-person-perspective

Amok

By Rob Smith

views let you choose the best way to witness the
destruction.

Deserts, plains, and superbly detailed cities pro-
vide the land-based backdrops, each inhabited by

its own indigenous range of beasts and enemies.

Aside from the attentions of the corporations—

who defend their property with mechanized vehi-
cles, stationary gun emplacements, droids, and
swarms of cartoon-like, pot-bellied infantry—
natural enemies such as kamikaze beetles and steel-
jaw rats add to the difficulty. In the submerged sec-
tions, sharks and spiked guhu fish are joined by
tough scuba grunts and stationary mines in an un-
ceasing onslaught against our hero.

In fact, there are loads of the little geezers
shooting guns and bazookas from all angles of this
3D environment, aiming not just for you, but at
each other. An unlimited supply of mini-cannon
rounds, boosted in velocity and damage
through powerups, is the basic weapon.
Standard missiles are pretty handy, and
bombs enable you to get to certain ar-
eas by taking out a large number of
grunts and land mines. Heavy missiles
are also needed to bash through certain
barriers.

Backed by an excellent, pumping
soundtrack of seven different tunes, the
action Is intense and non-stop. Fogging
effects create a truly eerie environment,
especially in the underwater segments,
which is a good thing: You'll need to

keep exploring to find the secret areas hiding extra
ammo and powerups.

The game loses somes points for the lack of
control options: your choices are keyboard or key-
board. With just nine missions—even hugely chal-
lening missions—it may also prove too short. And
the two difficulty levels are something of a mis-
nomer—“easy” is just the first two missions of the
full, “hard” game.

In the end, it’s a simple concept made into a chal-
lenging arcade romp. At the higher graphic resolu-
tions, such as 800-by-600 with 32K colors, it looks
like an absolute treat, though you'll need a beast of a
machine. There’s certainly plenty of stuff to shoot—
so much so that dispatching 100 percent of the ene-
mies seems a virtually impossible task. Amok is a
sheer adrenaline rush—nothing more, nothing less.

GAMEPLAY:

3 GETTING STARTED:

= GRAPHICS:
<x SOUND CHECK: OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER:

Pure, pumping arcade action.

Scavenger

GT Interactive
800-610-4847
www.gtinteractive.com
DOS/Win 95 CD
Pentium 60, 8MB RAM,
Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM
drive, sound card
$49.99

In the desert, skirt the edges of the

rocky hills to find small secrets with
powerups that aren't visible on the radar. W Just
avoid the sharks: shooting them is fun, but it won't
help you complete the mission. W In the cities, go up
any yellow-paved ramps to areas secreting extra
health and other powerups. W When you encounter
groups of grunts, keep moving to avoid their fire and
always target the bazooka shooters first—they do
more damage. W Droids are difficult to destroy, so
just avoid them wherever possible. You're unlikely to
win many antennae-to-antennae shootouts. W If
youre confident after completing a mission, scout
around for extra health and hull powerups before
heading for the rendezvous point.

How did we come up with the exciting
new features found in Destruction Derby 2?

By accident.

CONTENT RATED BY
ESRE

wWW+pSygQnOSisS-com
Destruction Derby™ 2 is the perfect combo of balls-to-the-wall racing and 3D wreckage. Seven

new tracks are longer, wider, faster, plus four destruction bowls. Cars roll, cars flip, cars fly off

the track. There's more deadly debris to deal with - tires, doors, hoods get jettisoned and serve
as incoming missiles. There's all new fire, new explosions, and improved suspensions for more
realistic handling. Destruction Derby 2. Designed exclusively for the true connoisseur of crash.

© 1996 Psygnosis Ltd. All rights reserved. Destruction Derby™ 2 and Psygnosis and the Psygnosis logo are trademarks of Psygnosis Ltd. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.

© 1996 Entertainment International (UK) Limited. All rights reserved. Empire Interactive, Pro-Pinball and The Web (used in conjunction with Pro-Pinball) are trademarks of Entertainment International. Interplay and MacPlay are trademarks of Interplay Productions. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Windows and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac and the Mac OS logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., used under license. Sega and Sega Saturn are trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved.
PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

By Peter Olafson

ction gamers would have to be crazy not to
pay a visit to this Bedlam. This isometric
shoot-’em-up—a striking composite of the
Crusader- and Syndicate-style games—has enough
graphic intricacies, intuitive play mechanics, and
heartening explosions
to keep you involved
for weeks.

As the hero, you
control up to three Mechs (here called Remote
Assault Tanks) on a 25-mission campaign to re-
move an infestation of “biomex.” (I don’t know.
Don’t ask.)

A superb briefing display provides a detailed
overhead map of the mission area with highlighted
objectives that can be displayed in closeup when
you click on them.

After checking out the map, you'll want to head
to the armory to load up on weapons. The bad
news: You have to pay for ordnance. The good
news: The game auto-configures your craft to stay
within budget. There are lots of options, ranging
from needler guns that barely kick up dust to
Hades bombs that reduce whole regions to raging
firestorms.

Finally, you’re dropped off at the insertion point
by a great gleaming aircraft. Gameplay is simplicity
itself: one mouse button for movement, one for fir-
ing. The game makes clearly audible announce-
ments when you achieve objectives, and displays
as-yet-unachieved ones on a useful (but not too
useful) in-mission map.

It all looks wonderful. The explosions are the
first and best reason to play Bedlam. They’re glori-

ous—almost epic—and they bring home the mem-
orable satisfaction of mass destruction as well as
any game in recent months.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of demolition work.
The missions tend to be go-in-and-blow-up chal-

lenges. That’s not to say there aren’t puzzles.
Objectives are often protected, remote or both.
You'll find yourself combing the landscape in
search of teleporters to unlock off-limits areas,
pressure pads to raise or lower sections of terrain,
and control switches to disable forcefields.

Through it all, though, it’s very much an action
game. Powerups strewn about the playfield add to your
score, pocketbook, energy, and speed.

Moreover, the game is full of
delightful little touches other than
the way things go “splat.” The ex-
plosions are great, but the buildings
look even better—both before and
after a conflagration. You'll also see
yourself performing on big-screen
TVs spread throughout the levels.
The playfield has depth, and you'll
have to travel in tunnels (in which
your character vanishes, Syndicate-
style) and on catwalks. I even liked
the intro’s big beat and cinematic ti-
tle sequence.

In fact, I have few complaints

hee tf

ACTION

about Bedlam. The
saved-game routine is
rather fragile. If you
miss the opportunity to
save after a mission,
tough bits, babe. In-
game speech is a bit
risqué, and not for any
persuasive reason. (Besides, if

your Mechs are remote-controlled, who exactly is
doing the talking?) And performance under
Windows 95 1s slightly sluggish. ’'d recommend
playing under DOS.

Nevertheless, this is a delightful surprise. I’ve
got Bedlam on the brain.

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

OVERALL

BEDLAM

MULTIPLAYER:

All-out action in the tradition of the
Crusader games.

Mirage Technologies

GT Interactive

800-610-4847
www.gtinteractive.com

Win 95/DOS CD

486DX/66 (Pentium recom-
mended), 8MB RAM (16MB
rec.), Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM
drive, mouse, sound card
$49.99

Lure enemies across their own land

mines. W Scout out each level, noting
the locations of forcefield controls and ammunition
caches. That way, you'll be able to plot out the most
efficient course when playing for keeps. W In the
multi-RAT missions, constantly monitor the status
of the idle units. Otherwise, you could be in for a
nasty shock.

_| ...OR CHUCKLE, chortle or even guffaw as you embark
| on your quest to solve the “Alien Incident”. If you
A! enjoy “classic” graphic adventure games where an

‘intuitive interface and a sense of humor are the ~

ingredients to fins, then this | is your kind of game.

\f’s Halloween night and you’ ue just witnessed | your le nein abducted by
aliens after his wormhole spawner invention sprung a leak. \t’s up to you, _
Benjamin Richards, to unravel the mystery of where they’uve taken your uncle.
With simple mouse clicks explore spooky mansions, dark and mysterious

forests, underwater caverns, creepy cemeteries, a challenging maze and the
aliens’ mothership itself. Hundreds of puzzles and clues provide you with hours

of immersive gameplay. Meet interesting people such as
Yodel the tree dweller, plus dozens of other strange and —
bizarre characters ina humorous. won that’s easy enough
even for adults to play!

~ PHILIPS

Area 51

or a place that officially doesn’t exist, Area 51’s

been getting an awful lot of attention lately. But

its the wrong kind of attention: The purported
government secret base has been infiltrated by
aliens, and you’re part of the special paramilitary
team sent in to clean up the mess.

Let’s not mince words: This conversion of the

By whatever means

necessary

Atari coin-op 1s basically Virtua Cop with
bitmapped enemies and an oddly filmed actor
replacing polygons. It’s a clone of that most cele-
brated of rail shooters, but a well-done clone—
one that expands its reach and adds to its depth.
You move through the base in scripted stages,
killing off formerly human caretakers (gray-
skinned zombies who are hosting incubating aliens)
and grown aliens in “on tracks” shooting-gallery
sequences. They give up the ghost in a satisfying
display of blood and bone, and between alien anni-

hilations, you can blast ammo boxes and obliterate

Shoot...it’s time to
shoot again

floating powerups to get a hold of
weapon upgrades.

In short, there’s a lot to shoot. Like
the Crusader games, you can trash
everything: computers, barrels, window
panes—even your colleagues. The
explosions look real, particularly when
you set off one of the yellow barrels
dotting the landscape. Blowing them to

hell is the way to secret rooms, a search that'll
GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:
SOUND CHECK:

MULTIPLAYER:

keep you coming back for more.

The backgrounds you'll be blasting are detailed
and convincing—especially during a mid-game OVERALL
jeep sequence that’s one of the game’s best mo-

AREA 51

ments. In places, their moody look combined with

the cries of your fellow troopers contributes a cer-
Nice game—for a few hours.

tain Aliens mood. ov
Williams Entertainment

GT Interactive

800-610-4847
www.gtinteractive.com

Win 95 CD

Pentium 60, 8MB RAM (16MB
recommended), Super VGA with
1MB of video RAM, 2X CD-ROM
drive, sound card, mouse
$39.99

DEVELOPER:

Still, the front-end looks cheesy, and the end- Pypuisuer:

ing’s rather weak. Worst of all, the game’s way too
short. I amazed myself by finishing the Easy set- —
ting in 45 minutes and polishing off Medium diffi- REQUIRES:
culty in about two hours.

I liked it. I just wanted more.

—Peter Olafson pint PRR

Captain Quazar

aptain Quazar? More like Major Havoc—both

for good and bad.

This Windows 95 translation of an angled-
down shoot-em-up originally appeared on 3DO. It
offers enjoyable mayhem when it works well.
Unfortunately, as with many console ports to the
PC, it doesn’t work as well as it should, or as often
as it should.

The Captain, a great blond lout with Popeye’s
chin, is assigned to take down the galaxy’s bad
guys in 10 missions pleasantly large in scope and
rich in destruction. They’re set in sprawling, multi-
directional levels viewed from a third-person point
of view just above and slightly downwind of the

Captain. These levels—

and almost everything

Some hero!

in them—come apart in

rich animations. Walls,
buildings, storage tanks, the works, are there to be
turned into smoking ruins—if you have the time
and the ammo (you start out with a Big Gun, mis-
siles, and grenades).

Ammo, first-aid kits, and the occasional extra

life are unearthed in these ruins. Sometimes, you'll

PEE

The Cap’n can’t AW Shs sans 8 EDD
quite overcome 4 “4 yt?

the glitches.

smoke a building and come across a sooty sur-
vivor waving a white flag. These turncoats
may offer codes to teleporters, point you
toward money caches, or make known that
there’s more to a level than meets the eye.

As lively as it is, the game ultimately has a
wearisome quality. It takes too long to get past
the multi-segment intro screens and into the

action. Enemies have an irritating habit of materi-

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

alizing out of nowhere. The scenery wasn’t quite
varied enough to keep my interest; it starts to look

like different arrangements of the same tiles. And OVERALL

while the game aims for a comic-book goofiness, it

MULTIPLAYER:

Play is okay, tech hassles aren't.

Studio 3D0

800-336-3506

www.3do.com

Win 95 CD

486/66 (P90 rec.), Win 95; 8MB
RAM (12 MB rec.), Super VGA
with 1MB of video RAM that
supports Direct Draw (2MB PCI
card), 8-bit sound card that sup-
ports Direct Sound, 2X CD-ROM
drive

$39.95

isn’t all that funny. (I don’t like getting flamed by
my boss when I pause the action.)

Worst of all, I didn’t play a single session with- PUBLISHER:
out interruption by some sort of technical problem.

CAPTAIN QUAZAR

a STR) : 412) : € a
On a 32MB Pentium 133, the game often dis PLATFORM:

played corrupted graphics (sometimes the Captain REQUIRES:
himself was invisible!), hung up on a skipping CD
soundtrack, or just plain locked up the machine.
Sorry, Cap’n. It was a nice try, but I just pressed
Eject and gave your CD a dishonorable discharge.
—Peter Olafson

January 1997 * PC GAMES
97

List PRICE:

1 Sma iT sa

7th LEVEL.

tei

cae

;

—

—
=

sore

Warcraft defi fir | [
gave you ‘the Le Now, DOMINION

challenges you | to the future with fiery

real-time strategic combat, resolutions up to

1280 X 1024, and | an unprecedented 95,000

frames of real- time 3-D animation.

It's 2224. Say good bye to the tactics
that served you well in previous
Campaigns. Your new reality: battle-
ground strategies vary by planet, and
the military- spun AI anticipates
your every. Move. Invent new
maneuvers with dog-
eat-dog Commanders.

Sabotage enemy bases

with computer viruses,
and teleport Men and
Materials across-world.

Isn't technology great?

Download the
interactive demo at:
www.gamespot.com
www.7thlevel.com

Every .oth download
can win the
complete game.”

As .
. 5 ~ Ss RET
ah eS Be - Beedl Fh
— we

fe >,» Se = se a
al & & 4
/ .* fe 3

*The DOMINION demo may be registered via e-mail. Every 10th registration, of the first 100,000 received, gets a mail-in rebate coupon for the retail
cost of DOMINION. Limit one registration per person. Offer only valid in North America. Rebate will be paid in U.S. funds. Void where prohibited.

- ©1996 7th Level, Inc. 7th Level is a registered trademark of 7th Level, Inc. All other products are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owners. All rights reserved. 7th Level, Inc., Richardson, TX 75081

beiuaie
‘i. ea

¥
ae

Ree, Pe
ea. ee

Ky
1

ies

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errno

iNet

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388°

Fast action and stunning realism —
that’s the promise of new 3D games and

edutainment software. But if your Super
Star Fighter jerks along instead of zoom- EONS —e—— a
ing and your “terrifying” monsters are OK Se ee.
glaringly pixelated — face it. You're not : |
having much fun.

Don’t just play it...Live it!
With a Reactor 3D graphics accelerator on

your PC, expect a whole new interactive IndyCar with SVGA Graphics IndyCar with Reactor Graphics

experience! Notice the jagged lines and edges and the flat, dull colors. Where’s + Now you're racing! See the detail on next car. Watch those rearview
: the crowd? What are those blocky things in the background? Are mirrors — that’s real 3D! Notice the crowd in the stands and the

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Want to know more? Call 800-763-0242 or reach us on the Internet ot http://www.intergraph.com/ics/reactor.

- Intergraph and the Intergraph Jogo are registered trademarks and Reactor is a trademark of Intergraph Corporation. HellBender is 4 trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other brands and product
ames are trademarks of their respective owners.
intergraph believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date: Such information is subject to change without notice and is subject to applicable technical product

Sonic CD

e’s back! And after all these years, he looks

exactly the same!

Which, of course, is the problem. I was
looking for more in Sonic’s PC debut. After all, in
this day of Pentium processors and 3D graphics ac-
celerators, I didn’t expect to find the same old
game that’s kept Genesis owners hooked for years.

Despite
some clever

Same old

new twists

Hedgehog

(the ability to

teleport to
different areas of a stage by flipping signs, for
example), this is still the same old Sonic: dashing
through one world after another collecting life
rings and power emeralds, racing through the
two-dimensional worlds of tunnels, cliffs, bridges,
and elevators. As always, his ultimate mission 1s
to save animals from the clutches of the evil Dr.
Robotnik, though in this case, the hostage 1s his

girlfriend, Amy the Hedgehog.

SlamScape

ntriguing storyline and brain-teasing puzzles sim-

ply don’t figure in SlamScape. Plentiful dodge-

and-shoot action: yes; great electronic literature:
no. The plot—for what it’s worth—is that you’re
trapped in a virtual-reality experiment along with
16 other captives. The plan
is to get you and
the other guys
out of this mess.

To succeed, you'll have
to navigate your way
through four levels, dodging and destroying
a variety of enemies to reach the Orb-Ids.
Collecting powerups and ammunition along
the way will help you fight your way to
them. Liberate the Orb-Ids to progress to
the next stage.

SlamScape’s designers score high marks for
providing great 3D scenery. The action is smooth
and fluid as you power your Slamjet Module
in all directions. The Shockball is your main
weapon, but your onslaught is aided by picking

up torpedoes and the Ripstar, a devastating device

Carnival of

destruction

Look at that jump!
Yep, you’re Sonic,
all right.

The one real change is an

(23 Sl “a ort

impressive 3D stage reached by

nabbing more than 50 rings be-
fore finishing a level. Hit a series
of flying UFOs successfully and
you'll receive a Time Stone. You
must acquire all seven Time
Stones before Dr. Robotnik does in order to

save your darling Amy.

Lest you think it’s only Sonic that has to jump
through hoops, there’s a few obstacles Sega has
left in your path. A massive 155MB full installa-
tion 1s a bit excessive. (Little guy, big game.) I
was also irritated to find that Sonic doesn’t even
remember the gamepad configurations from one
session to another.

Hardware problems aside, Sonic’s still a highly
playable arcade game. Let’s just hope that if there’s
a sequel, the creators bring something new to a
rather old formula.

—Sam Marshall

The third-person

view shows you more
of the carnage.

with limited ammo.

Your enemies are equally enter-
taining: clown-faced balloons, tank-
like assault vehicles, mechanical
spiders, teddy bears with razor-
sharp claws, electric
brainfish, and flying
propeller blades that pick
off the powerups you’ve so painstak-
ingly gathered.

You'd think such a simple arcade
game would be dead easy to get into, but that’s not
the case here. Controlling the Slamjet effectively
takes some practice, and needs mastering before
you can make any significant progress.

Frequent pauses in the gameplay (usually
when accessing the pounding soundtrack),
even on a monster PC, don’t help the flow of
supposedly fast-paced action. Still, SlamScape’s
a typical console-style title that, with the right
hardware, can fly and provide uninvolved, fast,
and furious gameplay.

—Sam Marshall

January 1997 * PC GAMES
101

4 ct“ ad “Uh it
| os |

Bat’

“a

|
4
= |

a
O
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SLAMSCAPE

a al ae

~
(=)
Nes

GAMEPLAY: B
GETTING STARTED: B-

GRAPHICS: B-

SOUND CHECK: C+ BOVERALL

MULTIPLAYER: N/A

Still a classic, but it could use some
updating.

PUBLISHER:

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

List Price:

Sega Entertainment
888-734-2725

www.sega.com

Win 95 CD

486DX4/100 (Pentium recom-
mended), 8MB RAM, Super VGA,
2X CD-ROM drive, sound card
$34.95

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:

GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

MULTIPLAYER:

Fast, pretty arcade action.

PUBLISHER:

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

List Price:

Viacom New Media
800-469-2539
www.viacomnewmedia.com
Win 95

Pentium 90, 8MB RAM (16MB
rec.), 2MB PCI or V/LB graphics
adapter (rec.), 2X CD-ROM drive,
DirectSound-compatible sound
card

$59.99

FRY MOP RIO WE FO Pe MRT eS

‘igh anit missions ina a0 ne- Quilt SimCity 2000 cites vou ¢ can even Nhe own SimCity 2000 tities.
for homemade emergencies. And you'll see your cities as never before: up close ? cial a é I. Fach

LWCSP TEN FLD AU OT

Nerves of steal of hl

opter is a trademark and SimCity 2000 and Maxis are registered trademarks of Maxis, Inc. All other trademar at registered 2 . : i
Fof-ordering information, contact your local retailer of cal BOO-33-MANS. Visit the Maxis Web site at Np: // mw maxis,com, :

omewhere, in a far-flung future, the govern-

ment’s getting worried. Ships bound for the

Nether-Planets—normally an easy trip—have
been disappearing. Spaceage investigators Axxel
and Tara are at a loss for clues. And to top it off,
Axxel’s been sucked into an intergalactic game
and given a simple choice: play or die.

That’s the backstory, and it’s a sorry setup for

what’s actually
a halfway de-

Capture the

cent game.
Grid Runner
offers you a

flag—or die

futuristic version of capture-the-flag, pitting you
against a slew of alien warriors on 15 different
worlds. Be the first to nab a flag and it’s run, run,
run to the next one, trying to touch ’em all before
your alien opponent tags you “it” and makes his
own flag dash.

Waterworlds, treelands, infernos—you name
it, it’s one of the grid-bearing locales for this time-
less sport. That kind of variety gives the chase

rid Runner

The cham-
pion of
Nimbus is
one mean
minotaur.
Don’t let
him catch
you...

some much-

needed spice, as
do details like the
path becoming
slippery on the

iceworld. There a.
: CLANS

Minox: ‘O7 oe

are also flag Woxxen: 475

guards, bombs, and pads that send

you rocketing through the maze like a runaway

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

pinball. Beneath it all is an arsenal of power-ups:
teleport; run faster; lay mines; build bridges; slow

or shoot your enemy. SOUND CHECK: C+ BOVERALL

Slinging spells (as they’re called here) while
dashing frantically is arcade-style fun, and it’s

MULTIPLAYER:

positively exhilarating in multiplayer games,
Fun for two, fair for one.

cc
uu
=<
=
_
cc
=
oc
Oo

played on the same machine using a split-screen

Radical Entertainment

Virgin Interactive Entertainment
800-874-4607

www.vie.com

Win 95 CD

Pentium 90, 8MB RAM, 1 MB
video card, 2X CD-ROM drive
$39.95

DEVELOPER:

(no networking). But you can only go so far when
PUBLISHER:

you've got fuzzy graphics, cheesy cut scenes, and

single-player action that’s shorter than it should
fg cam or h sas tf PLATFORM:
ye. If you’re runnin’ solo, choose another race; i een

you've got an opponent, step on the Grid.
List Price:

—Corey Cohen

Creep light

t takes steel balls to make
Scary?

No way.
But this

a really good computer

pinball game. Many de-
signers have captured the
feel of real-world pinball,

pinball
rocks the
house

but few have had ambitions
beyond strict authenticity.

3-D Ultra Pinball was one
game that successfully
stretched the conventions of computer pinball, and
the follow-up, Creep Night, expands on that success.
Like the original, Creep Night offers up to four play-
ers the ability to play three tables, each with a lightly
spooky theme (Castle, Tower, and Dungeon). You
can play the tables singly or together, and each one
consists of a central play field with wings to the left
and right (complete with flippers).

Like its predecessor, Creep Night’s a perfectly
modern way to play pinball, splendidly replicating
the real thing and then building upon it. This sil-
verball’s flush with lithe animations and special ef-
fects that could never be achieved under the glass:

Creep Night’s Castile table
is the best of the three.

than the advertising blurbs (“Try Trophy Bass 2”)
that appear at the bottom of the display. They’re
certainly creepy, but not in a good way.

For example, a little green demon drives a car

—Shane Mooney

OVERALL

around the play field until he’s squashed (for credit,
GAMEPLAY: B
GETTING STARTED: A
GRAPHICS: B+
SOUND CHECK:

of course). Balls disappear into a dimensional warp

or are eaten by a roving ghost. Skeletons and

Frankenstein-like monsters have to be bowled over.

Naturally, Creep Night is well-supplied with
bumpers, targets, ramps, and specials. But it’s

MULTIPLAYER: B

also loaded with enough spectral voices and fun-

house blasts of sound to make you forget just A solid flipper-fest.

CREEP NIGHT

playing pinball. Siarra

800-757-7707

Www.sierra.com

Win/Win 95 CD

486/33, 8MB RAM, Win 3.1 or
Win 95, Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM
drive

PUBLISHER:
It’s a great game, but it’s not perfect. The

Dungeon table seems slightly unfinished. The ball —

occasionally appears to pass through the flippers Requires:

and certain elements of the backdrop. The intro

ESTIMATED
Street Price: $49

music is warmed-over Danny Elfman (Batman,
Beetlejuice, Tales From The Crypt), and the intro
animation 1s curiously busy.

PLAY THE DEMO ON
PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

And I think Sierra could have coughed up some-
thing more appropriate for a Game Over sequence

January 1997 * PC GAMES
103

nt ¥

DON’T LOOK BACK. YOU’RE .

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The futuristic bridge of thesshipls your commandeenter —

From here you communicate and launch your explorations,

ivi ee

212-221-6559 :
To place-an order call:

Enteractive” 800-433-4464

The waters and islands of Micronesia conceal puzzling UTURE
ruins and the sunken wrecks of World War LE naval battles.

Dr. Luciana Capucci—brilliant biologist and expert in
underwater ecosystems.

trademarks of Future Concept. Jean-Michel Cousteau’s logo is a trademark of Jean-Michel Cousteau Productions. Co-produced in France by Future Concept, a subsidiary of IDP and Jean-
Michel Cousteau Productions, with the cooperation of the National Center of Cinematography and The French Ministry of Industry. Developed by IDP.

AMBER:
Journeys Beyond —

B t's a kooky world we live in. The X-Files is the water spouts form mysteri-

H hottest thing since the Macarena, people are ously, messages appear be-

B shelling out big bucks for Alien Autopsy footage, fore you on the bathroom

and after a couple of hundred years of scientific mirror. What'd you expect?

pooh-poohing, ghosts are finally getting some re- This isthe paranorna, at O—————

spect. Somebody's got to quantify all this paranor- ter all. Ultimately, you learn that Roxy’s spirit was

mal activity—and that’s where you come in. scattered in the great beyond when she attempted to aa Ree Sees saa

In AMBER, you’re cast as an employee at Bio Psi, —_ cross over to the other side. As if that wasn’t

a company that’s developing such a tool. A colleague enough, the house is haunted by three other spirits, GAMEPLAY: B- q >

of yours, Roxy, has decided to set up shop ina deso- —_ and 1t’s up to you to “journey beyond” and help = ~ GETTING STARTED: A | :
late house each of them so you can get Roxy back on her feet. S . GRAPHICS: B- | =—— |
known to None too original, but it could have been worse. ta | SOUND CHECK: B ean eeneneal
be teeming ourneys Beyond is a little better than most Myst-like > see
with ide enn a The combination of decaatly ren- > MULTIPLAYER: N/A
ity. When dered 3D graphics and ambient sounds helps create a > sh te ela Changeling
you go to fairly spooky environment, and the story manages to “= www.graphsim.com

check up on her, her lifeless body is an unwelcome be fairly compelling, even if it is a little far-fetched. ce Aiden 95CD,MacCD

ee apa ; WIR /66, 8MB RAM, 16-bit video
surprise. You wander the grounds and the house Yep, it ain’t exactly revolutionary, but for fans = card, 2X CD-ROM drive
itself looking for clues to what’s going on. of the frightful, Amber makes a nice distraction <x |
What you find is a full-blown Amityville: brilliant — between X-Files episodes. —Shane Mooney nh
“A DOUBLE MUST-HAVE.

Anyone who plays computer games
will want this AMAZING CHAIR!”

Marc Spiwak
POPULAR ELECTRONICS

“! could actually FEEL the punch of
the afterburner!”
Ed Dille, ELECTRONIC GAMES

itt subwoofer built into the base
generates low frequency sound that resonates
through the wave chamber hidden inside the
chair. Thus you not only hear but FEEL your
simulation. Paired with your amplifier, the
ThunderSeat makes your favorite flight sim as
realistic as it can be without a motion simulator!

OPTIONAL SIDE CONSOLES
Put your favorite joystick controls and mouse at
a convenient position. Add a keyboard holder
and you have the perfect setup for both flight
simulation and office work.

Tae
Whethat it8 the Fumble of your” ~ £
NASCAR or recoil of your Chain Gun; the” y : ThunderSeat Technologies

17835 Sky Park Circle - Suite C
ThunderSeat lets you blast off to g2ew Irvine. CA 92614-6106

level of realism. | a A | 714 + 851-1230 Fax: 714 + 851-1185

105

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PATA ale

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SIDIAN

*t Science, the Rocket Science logo, and Obsidian are trademarks of Rocket Science Games, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc

Mac

AP Rak Mis WER

DO NOT

RU LA D

YOUR

Noir

ADVENTURE

Py o you ever find yourself roaming the streets at

H night, an internal voice-over monologue run-

) ning through your head? Do you believe every-
one’s out to get you? Do you fear foreigners and
brutalize evil, manipulative women? Do you find
Peter Lorre creepy, but oddly deserving of sympa-
thy? If you’ve responded yes to all of these ques-
tions, you’re either a paranoid, psychotic
misogynist or an avid film noir fan. Either way,
you may be interested in Cyberdreams’ Noir, a
“shadowy thriller” designed to simulate the
gumshoe detective stories immortalized by
Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane.

As an anonymous associate of missing
detective Jack Slayton, you click through
gorgeously filmed black-and-white screens,
attempting to solve the cases Jack left
behind—including the mystery surrounding
his disappearance. Throughout the six
cases, you pick up clues and meet with
characters portrayed on video, who explain
their role in these events. You must find a
missing heiress, solve a security problem,
discover the mystery behind a rare book,
retrieve a missing dog, investigate the death
of a race horse, and break up a shady
Chinese shipping ring.

It all sounds much more challenging than
it really is. Although a certain amount of tim-
ing and perception are needed to solve the cases,
Noir probably won’t occupy the seasoned adven-
turer for long. Some of the mysteries aren’t that
mysterious, and can even border on the ridiculous,
though they do overlap in such a way that the
events in one case affect the others.

HHP.

By Christine Lam

Meanwhile, the video
footage features overact-
ing and melodrama that
will have you frantically
hitting the Esc key to
end a sequence. In terms
of thrills, Noir is more
Murder, She Wrote than
Murder, My Sweet. Your
most harrowing experi-
ence 1s being hypnotized
by Nazis and ending up
in the gutter sans memory
(giving you the painful task

of starting over if you didn’t save).

Noir makes light of the clichéd elements of
film noir, causing some confusion about whether
It’s a spoof or an actual thriller. If it aims for
thriller, it lacks the basic themes and attitudes of
film noir. Every possibly offensive moment is gut-
ted, probably to maintain political cor-
rectness. Violence and hatred toward
women and immigrants, as well as the
feelings of fatalism, anger, and alien-
ation, are integral to film noir, whether
one approves of them or not. Without
them, it simply isn’t film noir—it’s just
parody or struggling atmosphere.

Although Noir is visually impres-
sive, only the most die-hard aficionados
will appreciate the photography enough
to plod through the mediocre game-
play. Subtle attention to small details
helps—the precise use of keys, a video
projector, an elevator panel—but there

aren’t enough of those touches to keep one inter-
ested for an extended amount of time.

If you’re a huge film noir fan and remember
Barbara Stanwyck as a seductive vixen worth
killing for in Double Indemnity, you may have
some interest in the game, at least for its breath-
taking graphics. But if you remember Stanwyck
as a perverse old woman pawing Richard
Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds, and wonder
why people even bother watching black-and-white
movies anymore, perhaps it’s best to steer clear of
Noir altogether.

GAMEPLAY: C + |
GETTING STARTED: B+ |
GRAPHICS: AV = |
SOUND CHECK: B BOVERALL |

MULTIPLAYER: N/A

More eye-candy than adventure.

PusuisHer: Cyberdreams
818-225-1049
www.cyberdreams.com

Pratrorm: Win/Win 95 CD

Requires: 486/66, 8MB RAM, Win 3.1 or
Win 95, Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM
drive

ESTIMATED

Street Price: $44.95

W Make sure you save after each ma-

ute > Bi breakthrough in each case. Failure
to do so will yield much aggravation. W Use the cur-
sor to explore every nook and cranny of each
location, especially Jack’s office. If you miss some-
thing, it could cost you later. W If you get stuck, call
Jack's informant from your Rolodex for suggestions,
and if you forget where you left off in the game,
check your notebook in the lower-lefthand drawer of
Jack's desk. W Although you can pick up clues in
Jack's office separately with each case, it’s much
easier to take care of them all at once.

sci mento SHAMAN
ks

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YOU ARRIVE, A. STRANGER ok bee d Vv LON od 344 es Swe

WAY THROUGH THE =
TWISTED, SURREAL WORLD IN SEARCH OF YOUR PARINER, MAX. ALL YOU GARRY: WIPHoos

IN A STRANGE «LAND DISOR 1 GMemh yvOU MAKE YOUR@

YOU 18 THE KNOWLEDGE YOU'VE GROWN 40 ACCEPT AS THE TRUTH. BUT YOU’RE ABOUT

TO DISCOVER THAT WHAT THE. TRUTH 1S DEPENDS ON WHAT=WORLD YOU'RE IN. AND IN
THIS WORLD, THINGS DON’T NECESSARILY WORK THE WAY YOU MIGHT EXPECT THEM TO, «sy
THE CHARACTERS DON’T EXACTLY ACT THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. <THE LAWS

OF. PHYSICS HAVE SOMEHOW BECOME WARPED. WHAT IS UP AND WHAT 1s DOWN as 'O
MERELY A MATTER OF OPINION. HERE, AFTER EVERY PERPLEXING PUZZLE YOU SOLVE, <¢f)
ANOTHER LURKS AROUND THE CORNER. AND AS YOU UNRAVEL EACH ELUSIVE MYSTERY ¢
AN EVEN BIGGER ONE BEGINS TO UNFOLD. THE QUESTION 1S, WILL YOU BE \ABLE

JO -PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER AND MAKE 20 fic CHOICE WHEN THE TIME comes? CG)

Microso ft
Windows 95

Meridian 59

By Peter Olafson

illary’s right: It really does

take a village. And I can

think of no better illustra-
tion than my recent experiences
in Meridian 59.

I guess I should start at the
beginning. A few days ago, my
review of this Internet-based
3D multi-user dungeon (MUD)
was shaping up as a rather mixed bag. After a

few hours online with the inviting game engine—
Doom-like movement with role-playing features
and a text parser—the actual game seemed
daunting.

Its strong points were obvious. The engine is
an utter delight; a standalone RPG would be hard-
pressed to top the features. Detailed descriptions
are a click away. The automap can be annotated,
and key locations in the five cities are already
identified. The parser is rich and flexible: you talk
to people in your immediate area or “broadcast”
Meridian-wide messages. The graphics aren’t up to
the best 3D games, but they work with smooth

movement. The sound is atmospheric.

Princess Katerina

Pon ae

Some characters require convincing before
giving you a position.

Simple, easy-to-navigate maps help the
exploration process.

Rule the world (or at

least, a world)

Ready your
weapon—
danger could
spring from
anywhere.

It was easy to
install, and almost
as easy to get up and
running. (Netscape
Personal Navigator
2.02 is bundled.)
And latency? What’s

latency? For all in-

tents and purposes,
Meridian played as
if it all resided on my machine. Even building a
character—a pleasant, graphically oriented proce-
dure in which you customize your face, stats, and
skills—was a breeze.

The problem was, I couldn’t get anywhere. My
first day went something like this: | went out of
town to find adventure. I got killed by a large
insect. (A baby spider, no less.) Sans worldly
goods, I had to negotiate winding staircases lead-
ing from the Underworld to one of Meridian’s
inns. I fell off several times before I reached the
top. | went out of town to find adventure. I got
killed by a large insect...

And so on. I felt like a country boy who gets
mugged on his first night in the big city and stag-
gers out of an alley in his underwear. When |
logged on for a final go, I wasn’t expecting
much—except maybe to help feed Meridian’s
arachnoid population.

But then, something unexpected happened: |
met someone. | don’t know why he took me in
hand, but he did. He gave me armor, a better
weapon, and 2,000 shillings, and escorted me to
the bank to stash it for safekeeping.

Now I’m killing baby spiders and worse, and |
don’t feel as though I’m wearing my mortality on
my sleeve. Of course, there’s a catch: My friend
wants me to join his guild once I reach a certain
level of proficiency. “Think of it as grease,” he
told me mildly.

Hey, I can live with that. The lesson 1s that the
engine is just a facilitator, and that any online
game is only as good as the people playing. I’m

still a stranger in a strange land, uncertain of my

January 1997 « PC GAMES
111

standing, and small hairs on the back of my neck
still stand on end when I see movement on the
horizon. (There are some real villains lurking out
there. I’ve seen three reports of cold-blooded mur-
ders while online.)

But now I know someone, and I feel as though
| have a future. And that makes all the difference.
You see the world differently when you're not
staring into the abyss. Possibilities are emerging,
and the potential of Meridian is vast. This online
village has done its job.

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED: a
GRAPHICS:
SOUND CHECK:

OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER: A-

MERIDIAN 59

A sense of community makes this
great game even better.

Studio 3D0

800-336-3506

www.3D0.com

Win 95 CD

486/66, 8MB RAM,

Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM

drive, PPP/Slip Internet connec-
tion, 14.4Kbps modem, mouse,
sound card

$49.95: first 30 days free
(then $9.95 a month)

PUBLISHER:

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

List Price:

¥Y Don't carry cash; use the bank. If you
die, you'll still have your loot. W Don't
take on anything larger than a giant rat or baby spi
der at the start. W Stay out of Tos’ cemetery at night
until you've reached a fairly high level. It’s re-
garded as bad etiquette to steal someone else's
post-combat loot. (If it appears unattended, ask first.)

TIPS

FLY &

DRIVE

elicopter sims have always

focused on American gunships,

so it’s refreshing to get the
opportunity to fly a war machine
of foreign origin: the Russian Mil
Mi-24 Hind. Digital Integration
and Interactive Magic—the makers
of last year’s excellent Apache

sim—are at it again.

The Hind is an assault helicopter capable of
carrying troops to the field of battle and support-
ing them with an awesome array of firepower.
Heavily armored, the Hind is an ugly, fearsome
beast designed to give and receive punishment—
but not to be quick on its feet, which may seem
strange to Apache flyers. They’ll also have
to get used to

One mean,
mean flying

targeting and
weapons systems
that are much less

flashy and high-

tech, as the Hind’s design is definitely a case of

machine

muscle over sophistication in nearly every respect.
By no means does that make it less fun to fly the
Hind. It’s just a different experience—but a wel-
come one. Buzzing an enemy airfield and strafing a
row of parked MiGs while taking an incredible
pounding from anti-aircraft fire—and surviving—
provides an awesome rush. The Hind may be a

The various external views, including the

enemy’s perspective, are particularly enter-
taining when you're strafing enemy troops

out in the open.

By Steve Klett

The Hind can
carry hundreds

of rockets, making
it an ideal close-

support helicopter.

Time to do a little convoy-busting.

beast, but it’s amazingly durable, extremely deadly,
and well-respected by its enemies.

While Hind is a sophisticated, realistic sim
designed with hard-core PC pilots in mind, Digital
Integration made every effort not to exclude the more
casual flyer. A Quickstart option lets novices jump in
the Hind with unlimited ammo and blow up every-
thing in sight. You can even select invincibility for
an unrivaled killfest.

Three flight model modes let you select the
desired level of realism. An extensive series of train-
ing missions introduces the Hind’s boom, missile,
and projectile weaponry and handling characteris-
tics before you jump into career missions.

And you'll want to embark on a career. Hind
offers three challenging campaigns set in Korea,
Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan that advance in
difficulty and provide a total of 30 riveting mis-
sions. The missions them-
selves are suitably varied,
including escort jobs, troop
insertion and retrieval,
ground troop support,
search and destroy, bomb-
ing, and reconnaissance.

An impressive array of
multiplayer options lets
you fly head to head or
cooperatively, pairing up
with a friend to crew the
same helicopter (one of
you 1s the pilot, the other’s
the Weapons Systems
Officer, or gunner). Then
there’s a deathmatch option with up to 15 other
pilots on a network, and a network team game
where one team must destroy the other’s head-
quarters. The cherry on top is Hind’s ability to

January 1997 * PC GAMES
112

be networked with DI’s Apache, pitting you as
Russia’s firepower and strength against America’s
nimble, high-tech attack chopper (or vice versa).

Perhaps no other sim to date has captured the
feel of taking part in an actual battle as well as DI’s
Apache, an asset continued with Hind. As you fly
to your mission target, there’s plenty of activity
going on around, above and below you—artillery
fire bursting on the ground, tanks battling it out,
fighters dogfighting, and troop convoys bustling on
the highways. Meanwhile, endless radio chatter
from your allies heightens the sense of realism.

As you can tell, we like this sim, and if you’ve
flown Apache, you'll understand why. Hind has
the same quality feel as its predecessor, and while
it’s a snap to get into, it’s a challenge to master.
Try it, comrade—you won’t be disappointed.

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:

GRAPHICS: B
SOUND CHECK: B=

MULTIPLAYER: AQ

Realism and firepower make Hind a
powerful combat experience.

Devetorep: Digital Integration

PuBLisHeR: Interactive Magic
800-699-4263
www.imagicgames.com

Piatrorm: + DOS/Win 95 CD

Requires: 486/66, DOS 5.0 or Win 95,
8MB RAM (16MB with Win 95),
Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM drive

List Price: $49.95

YW Use the external view (F6) when
TIP S landing—tt's easier to judge the dis-
tance to the ground and your rate of descent.

¥ Don't stray from your mission parameters. If
you pursue all the extra targets, you'll find yourself
beaten up and out of ammo by the time you get to
your objective. W Stay low and slow at the target
area. If you're too high, you're an easy target for
ground fire, and if you're flying too fast, you won't
be as nimble as you need to be. ¥ Remember, the
Hind carries extra supplies on board—you can re-
load many of your weapons by landing in a quiet
area during a mission.

PLAT THE DEMO Of
"= PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

THE FLIGHT IS SIMULATED,
THE ADVENTURE IS REAL.

sect ae

1-800-858-1322 viP Code PCS —

Comanche is a registered trademark of NovaLogic, Inc. Comanche 3, RAH-66, Voxel Space, Voxel Space 2, NovaLogic and the
NovaLogic logo are trademarks of NovaLogic, Inc. Copyright 1996 NovaLogic, Inc.

Eject from your HAWC, steal another. Bot-jacking Wage war in everything from icy tundra to blistering
is relatively legal here. We suggest wearing layers.

bey
A‘ if
ieee Bia

Storm the enemy guard towers; try to Destroy the enemy's HAWC delivery system and cu Communicate with wingmen via radio; share
avoid being turned into a red sinewy pile. down on the number of missiles headed your way amusing anecdotes about global warfare.

BestBuy «CompUSA « Computer City « Software Etc.

scfical weapons of ware

ult tanks, switt hov Ycratt

FLY & DRIVE

} echanized combat games are
undoubtedly a popular, time-
© honored formula. We’ve all
played in futuristic landscapes full
of deadly robots piloted by fearless
Rambo-esque characters. But few
have matched Shattered Steel’s
look, style, and scintillating action.
Developed by BioWare, a
Canadian-based group led by three medical doctors

with a penchant for creating video games in their
spare time, Shattered Steel takes every element of
the genre and tops it. First off, there’s the storyline.
The future, no surprise there; warring corporations
battling for natural resources, still no shocks;
heroic good guy—nope, seen that, too. So what’s
so good
about it? The
way It all
gels together
| over the
course of 50 absorbing missions. That’s not includ-
ing the 15 multiplayer-specific missions, to be
fought in deathmatches for up to 16 players.

The mission structure on Lanios 3, the first port
of call, is initially pretty simple—defend a commu-
nications outpost, protect a bunch of escaping pris-
oners, attack a convoy. Yet each mission hides
anywhere from one objective to four or five.
AINIC, an onboard computer, is there to show
you the way. From starbase Hydra IV, you take

to your Corvette transporter for travel to the

mission location. Onboard
the Corvette are your

two Planet Runners (the
second gives you an extra
life should a mission go
pear-shaped),

The Corvette also includes the storeroom where
the Runners are equipped. A significant array of
weaponry—lasers, mines, mortars, nukes,
tlamethrowers, cannons, and more—can be found
or salvaged on planet surfaces, which you use to
upgrade the Runner. In addition, the chassis, reac-
tor, and shield levels have three levels of strength.
Careful selection of primary and secondary
weapons could make the difference between mis-
sion success and abject failure.

Once you hit the surface, things really heat up.
Aside from the excellent shading of the landscapes,
the Runner cockpit is highly detailed. An external
view of the first-person action is a perfect example
of how you don’t need 3D hardware to achieve
fast-paced, beautifully shaded locations.

Twenty-some enemies throw all kinds of plasma
in your direction. Fortunately, you’re not always
alone. Shuttles and other Runners help you fight
Gnats, Basilisks, and Aspis in assaults that require
dexterous use of the fairly complex controls.
Unfortunately, your allies are usually killed far too
quickly to be of much use.

Backed by some outstanding
sound effects—check out the
spinning shot of the S0mm can-
non—the various enemies, style
of missions, and firepower at
your disposal make for an in-
credibly intense experience. My
only real criticism is that while
the missions fit the pattern of
evolving stories on each of the
planets that need liberating,
they’re somewhat repetitive in
flavor. That’s despite a tremen-
dous variation in landscapes,
both in color and contours, that makes aiming,

moving, and shooting a real challenge at times.

116

Really, though, it’s a minor quibble. In the long

run, there’s enough simulation and action to please

MechWarrior devotees and twitch gamers alike.

SHATTERED STEEL

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER:

Even the best Mech games have some
new competition.

BioWare

Interplay

800-468-3775

www. interplay.com

DOS CD

486DX/66 (Pentium recom-
mended), 8MB RAM (16MB
rec.), 2X CD-ROM drive, mouse,
sound card

$49.95

Configure the controls to let you

Eel move the Runner ahead quickly and
easily. ¥ Aim for enemies’ bodies with your lasers.
Don't shoot maniacally, or you'll overheat. ¥ When
firing, bear in mind that your missiles are fired from
the top of the Runner (e.g., don’t shoot them when
you're right next to an alien). W Use power to rein-
force the shields as they're depleted. Staying alive as
long as possible is the key to winning missions.

WHEN YOU'RE A WEAPONS
MANUFACTURER, PEACE. CAN
PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO TO GET PROFITS BACK

UP, YOU VE GOT TO INCITE
AND SURVIVE - THE MOST
GRUELING BATTLES ON LAND

AND UNDERWATER.

PLENTY OF DIFFERENT MISSIONS,
EACH WITH A+: COMPLETELY
NEW STORYLINE, OBJECTIVE.

AND OPPONENTS

YOUR SLAMBIRD COMES WITH
DIFFERENT FEATURES OPTIMIZED
FOR BOTH LAND AND UNDERWATER
RONMENTS

a
<=
nd

GT Interactive
Software
www-gtinteractive-com

CONTENT RATED BY

PC CD-ROM ESRB

scavenger. Inc. Distributed
tive Companies

by GT Interactive Software Corp. All trademarks are the property of their respec

“f" here’s no end to the ever-
growing real-time strat-
egy stakes—and now

comes another potential

contender for Warcraft II’s

throne.

See, I’ve already men-
tioned “it.” There’s just no
getting away from compar-
ing all fantasy and real-time
strategy games to Blizzard’s
classic. Perhaps that’s unfair:
When a competitor like War
Wind comes along, it could
be unduly penalized just because it doesn’t get the
juices flowing in the same way.

But before we pass judgments, let’s set the
scene. War Wind takes place on the world of
Yavaun, a planet boasting a strange enchantment
that offers magic to its inhabitants as they battle
each other for dominance. Woven through a de-
tailed, well-documented history are four very dis-
tinct and very weird races, each with bones to pick
with the others.

The Tha’ Roon have been the dominant race
for eons, much to the annoyance of the Obblinox,
who acted as their warriors to ensure military
might, and to the perpetual insult of the Eaggra,
who tended the land and provided the slave foun-
dations on which all great empires are built. The
fourth race are the weirdos. The Shama’ Li hold a
spiritual position and are now seeking to unite the
four factions, rather than wage war with any of the
other three. (Are you still with me?)

The major departure from a pure Warcraft-style
game is the development of characters through multi-
ple scenarios. Eight characters are selected at the end

of every scenario to continue the fight. This requires

War Wind

By Rob Smith

its own strategic planning, because leaving yourself
short of workers to mine resources and build unit
types proves fatal without a few judicial selections.

War Wind is hard going initially; it demands a
high level of detail, of the “build x to get y and z
number of y to get w” sort. Also, while the motives
of elves, dwarves, and orcs require only a very
basic knowledge of the fantasy milieu, you’re
gonna have to do some reading before immersing
yourself in the struggles of Yavaun.

Protecting the clan leader is the bottom line for
succeeding in each race’s seven basic scenarios: He
dies, you lose. Surround him with mages and more
advanced characters by mining resources and build-
ing certain units. Not only does each race have its
own building types and resources, but unit types can
be bio-upgraded through research, so there’s plenty
of background to master before making significant
progress. Once the battle has been won with one
race, you try it using any of the others.

Combat is quite manic, although it can be
structured through careful use of the 20-plus com-
mand options. Several build options are also avail-
able, presented in a simple interface that enables

quick reactions to battle situa-
tions. None of the building
and ordering of units is
helped by the creatures’ re-
sponses. Hideous screeches
that pass for each bizarre
race’s language don’t help

the atmosphere.

120

A very simple campaign editor adds a little play

longevity, as does the multiplayer option, although
even here the intense resource management needed
to start moving gets in the way.

War Wind tries to forge its own niche, and it
may well do that. But the level of background to
be uncovered and plodding early pace in each cam-
paign makes it difficult to lose yourself in either the
fantasy or the game.

GAMEPLAY:
= GETTING STARTED:
— GRAPHICS: mae
S SOUND CHECK: OVERALL
cc
= MULTIPLAYER:

Too much work for too little fun.

SSI

800-601-7529
www.warwind.com

Win 95 CD

Pentium 60, 16MB RAM, 1MB
Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM drive
$54.99

To get a head start on gathering re-
sources and buiding structures, always
carry at least one worker over from mission to mis-
sion. Your storage warehouse should be the first
structure you build, unless you already have one. ¥ In
multiplayer games, kill your opponents’ worker just af-
ter they've gathered resources. They'll drop the goods
and you can nab ‘em.
During gameplay, hit Enter, then
sss" type one of these codes: W !The
Sun Also Rises: Removes Fog of War ® !Golden Boy:
Adds 5,000 resource points to your Clans resource total.

Game Features:
_ 3D Rendered Cut Scenes

_ Windows 95 DirectX Game

_ Multiplayer modem, network, and Internet play

_ Full musical score and integrated sound effects

Free Demo:

www.meqamed.com
Megamaita USA g

Tel.: 408-428-9920
Fax: 408-428-9924 Megamedia is a Registered Trademark of Megamedia Corporation. All other trademarks are those of |

at their very bes

helicopters, jet fi ' ohtele

KIDS TO ADULTS

CONTENT RATED BY

Wit sd! Outi

Blood & Magi

By Barry Brenesal

nterplay’s first foray

into TSR’s Forgotten

Realms world gives
D&D fans a taste of the
high-fantasy dragon-slay-
ing, spell-weaving exploits
that typify their hobby. Set in the kingdom of
Doegan, Blood & Magic is a real-time strategy
game that’s surprisingly easy to learn.

Delving into a strange world of magic and
monsters, dungeons and dragons, you begin the
quest with a Bloodforge and a basal golem. The
Bloodforge acts as a storehouse and distributor of
magical energy; the
golem is a strange mor-
phing creature. In its sta-
tionary pyramid form,
the golem gradually gen-
erates energy that can be
transmitted to the forge.

It can also wander

around to open up the
surrounding terrain.

Place the golem next to

a foundation (a special-
ized transforming object,
like a crypt) and it changes
Into any creature you've researched.

Rangers, mages, zombies, banshees, and furies
make up the 16 creature types that the basal
golems can assume, each displaying its own bene-
fits and drawbacks. Switching between these
forms allows the golem to navigate various ter-
rains—marsh, rivers, mountains, etc.—and deal
with the enemies encountered there more effec-
tively. Artifacts found lying about can enhance a
creature’s abilities in fairly standard ways, such as
healing lost hit points, enhancing strength, and in-
creasing movement.

Next to all those features, your own options
seem a bit slim. There are no spells to learn, struc-
tures to create or weapons to forge. You don’t har-
vest resources or form diplomatic relationships. And
there’s no dialogue between characters. Since there’s
not much to do, learning how to play isn’t particu-
larly difficult. But if you need help, Blood & Magic
supplies it via in-game statistics for all
the creatures, artifacts, structures, and
terrain. There’s also a step-by-step tu-
torial that sees you through the basics
of exploration, transforma-
tion, research, and fighting.

If you’re feeling suitably
heroic, you can battle
through five clearly defined
but unrelated campaigns of
varying difficulty, across ran-
domly generated maps. Each
campaign offers three scenarios:
complete all three successfully,
and you win the campaign.

Blood & Magic’s fun to play, with a learning
curve that’s as flat as the Florida landscape. And
yet again, the game’s a little thin: thin on options,
monster types, graphics, spells, scenarios, and
worst of all, excitement. Heroes of Might &
Magic gave you randomly generated maps, a user
map editing and saving facility, selectable AI lev-
els, and adjustable starting resources; you'll get
none of these from Blood and Magic. At the same
time, Warcraft and Warhammer are both more
lavish in the real-time action department.

Visually, this
game would have
been 2D isometric
state-of-the-art
about three years

ago. It’s good-quality VGA at 300-by-200 resolu-
tion and 256 colors, but not quite up to the
visually appealing level of more recent games

like Heroes.

All things considered, Blood & Magic still gets
a thumbs up. If you’re looking for a real-time

123

S BeOS ae

STRATEGY

Sealant se fantasy game that takes
- — 15 minutes to learn,
you'll enjoy this. The multiplayer option via mo-
dem, network or direct link provides a boost to the
longevity. But if you want more of a fantasy envi-
ronment flavor—if you want to actually build that
empire, master difficult spells, form alliances, and
visit arcane sites—check out some of the other
games mentioned before.

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER:

It’s no Heroes, but it sure is easy to learn.

Interplay

800-468-3775
www.interplay.com

DOS/Win 95 CD

486DX/66, 8MB RAM, DOS 6.1
or Win 95, 2X CD-ROM drive
$38

BLOOD & MAGIC

Send one or two of your first basal golems

stomping down the roads so you can see
what's coming at you while you build your forces. ‘W Try to
get a map that positions a foundation relatively close to
your Bloodforge. This will make it much easier to send basal
golems for quick transformation. W Do early research in a
form appropnate to your foundation. Meanwhile, send a
basal golem to the foundation site. You want one good crea-
ture to position on an incoming route, blocking traffic and
hindering your opponent's explorations. W Watch your
foundations at all times. If they're destroyed, there may be
no way to transform your basal golems into much tougher,
more effective allies.

TIRED OF THE
SAME OLD LINKS?

CHANGE COURSE.

THEN CHANGE IT AGAIN. AND AGAIN. SimGolf’—with the new Course Architect gives you the power
to create endless courses, as heartbreaking or handicap-friendly as you like. Go ahead, dig yourself new
fairways, bunkers and oes Choose from hundreds of objects to make one-of-a-kind courses. (Think
Sahara-size sandtraps. And watery golf ball graves.) Video tips from legendary course architect Robert
Trent Jones, Jr. help you

turn your blueprints into

greens. You can even play
—or customize—two Jones masterpieces, Rancho La
Wuinta™ and The Prince Course. Then tee off on your

new links. Ur round up a foursome to play your cus-

tom course on the Internet. SimGolf. It's the ultimate

18 holes (some assembly required). Use the powerful Course Architect to cus- Once you've designed your ideal course, tee
tomize courses. Make them flat or hilly, place off for high-stakes skins, stroke or match play.

SIMGOLF. COMPETE ON COURSES YOU CREATE. 9 toles and hazards, and it’s tee time.

Available for Windows 95. ©1996 Maxis, Inc. All rights reserved. SimGolf and Course Architect are trademarks and Maxis is a registered trademark of Maxis, M & x 4 S
Inc. Hancho La Quinta is a trademark of TD. Desert Development Limited Partnership. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the properties of their
respective owners. For product or ordering information, contact your local retailer or call 8O0-33-MAXIS. Visit the Maxis Web site at http://www.maxis.com.

CONTENT RATED BY
ESRsS

Solid Ice

By Daniel Morris

ny sports fan has a huge place in his heart for

an underdog. Odds are that if we’re not being

paid to play our game, we’ve probably spent
some time as the lowman ourselves. That’s why it’s
so sweet to see a gritty club like the Florida
Panthers lay claim to a Stanley Cup berth in a
shower of plastic rats, or the upstart 92-93 San
Jose Sharks down the monolithic Red Wings and
come within a crossbar of the Western Conference
final against the Maple Leafs.

The minute that unsightly, ungainly, seem-
ingly hopeless team takes the ice against fran-
chises it has no business even competing with,
I’m pulling for the
upset. That doesn’t
mean the upset comes.
All too often, the good
old college try ends
with you flat on your
face in a spray of
snow shavings.

Strategy First’s Solid
Ice is an underdog if
ever there was one.
With competition like
NHL ’97 and NHL
Powerplay °96, putting
together a product that can compare is a daunt-
ing chore for a small outfit. Solid Ice has a lot of
heart and a lot of nice touches separating it from
the big boys, but it’s half the hockey game.

If it’s editability you crave, Solid Ice has it
in spades. Sure, there’s no NHL license, but

you can edit your own team names, locations,

Strategy First shows guts facing
off in this league.

Outta the way, zebra!

uniforms, and even logos. Players are fully
editable in several statistical categories.

The view of the action is from the side, a la
a television presentation. I hear a lot of people
dog this perspective, but I’m not so quick to
jump on that bandwagon—I think I'd actually
prefer to play PC hockey from the TV side
view, if someone would just get around to do-
ing it right. Solid Ice doesn’t quite.

In fact, it doesn’t hit the mark in
any aspect of its graphical presentation.
Even in the hi-res mode, everything looks bad:
Player animations are weak. The rink is shoddy.
The goalie moves like it’s his first time on skates.

The word I’d received upon getting the
game was that it didn’t look like much, but
made up for that failing with good AI and
gameplay. The word was right about it not
looking like much. As for good AI and
gameplay, I can say this—it looks like
hockey. But
the play is
defensively
unsound to
aggravating
extremes,
allowing
breakaway
after
breakaway.
I also
found it
nearly im-
possible to

January 1997 * PC GAMES
125

SPORTS

Get your nose dirty
in scrums along the
Plexiglas.

consciensciously check opponents. Maybe
that’s because there’s no Check button, just a
button to put men in a “checking
posture” and then hope for the best. The
best you can usually hope for 1s to hold in
the checking posture and skate near a break-
ing Opponent, praying your guy does some-
thing useful.

Does that sound like a strategy for success in
a realistic
hockey game?
No. And the
things that
Solid Ice does

get right—excellent one-timing tactics, linemates

Score one for

the big boys

who rarely take you offside, power plays you
can actually set up, and penalty kills you’ll
actually stress over—are wasted by the mind-
numbing graphics.

As large a place as I have in my heart for a
scrappy underdog, there’s no way I can recom-
mend Solid Ice. I wish I could. But it takes more
than bravery to make it in this increasingly com-
petitive league. Solid Ice will just have to watch
from the press box.

GAMEPLAY: C- +
GETTING STARTED: C+
GRAPHICS: D+
SOUND CHECK: C-

N/A

OVERALL |

MULTIPLAYER:

SOLID ICE

This hard-working challenger can’t
hang with computer-hockey pros.

DEVELOPER:
PUBLISHER:

Strategy First

Empire Interactive
301-916-9302
WWW.empire-us.com

DOS CD

486DX/66, 8MB RAM, DOS 5.0,
2X CD-ROM drive

List Price: $40

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

Vv Don't commit your defensemen to
the offensive rush. If the puck is turned
back the other way, your goalie will be left out to dry.
Y Speaking of which, resist the urge to clear the
puck when your goalie controls it. He tends to cough
it right back up to the bad guys, leaving him out of
position to make the save. W On D, let the goalie worry
about the opponent's shot. You worry about the rebound.

TIPS

SPORTS

occer 1s a great game. Many sims have failed to
do it justice, but FIFA has never failed. And the
97 version is no different.

This year, motion-captured players get the

rounded depth of polygons for significantly enhanced

realism over the ’96 version. This puts the series back
on track with VR Soccer in the graphics department
while retaining
FIFA’s superior
gameplay.

Get in

the game

Eleven leagues

composed of nearly
200 teams, complete with accurate 16-player
squads, are joined by 64 national teams to provide
an amazingly comprehensive festival of soccer. As
many as 20 players at once can enjoy this event,
although that requires eight local-area-networked
machines and a control method that allows you to
daisy-chain controllers. A four- or six-button
gamepad really helps for pulling off some of the
more complex maneuvers, such as the rainbow
dribble (the infamous heel-flicking of the ball over
your head).

Like FIFA °96, the game’s Virtual Stadium tech-
nology enabled EA Sports to accurately judge the
size and perspective of the players and pitch. As an
offshoot of this level of detail, the game uses a con-
trol method in which kicking the ball is fine-tuned
by the length of time the button is depressed. It’s
crucial to work out the distance between players
and their relative positions.

One major addition is the indoor soccer option.

Five-a-side action in the enclosed arena is fast and

frenetic, and offers all the options and teams avail-

Ope ee

FIFA Soccer '

By Rob Smith

Play indoors for
a fast-paced

Motion-capturing brings new levels of
realism to player movements.

able for playing outdoors.

Enhancing the “watching on TV” feel is the
addition to the commentary staff of Des Lynam,
frontman of Britain’s major network TV soccer
show and something of a legend there. John
Motson’s dulcet tones at the microphone are
joined by striker-turned-commentator Andy Gray.
Between them, the banter adds more comment
on the state of the game, who’s leading, and other
familiar chatter on top of the straight “x passes
to y” routine.

FIFA °97 is packed to the rafters with options;
most will be familiar to those who played through
the °96 version. The option to transfer players be-
tween squads and save these databases for later use
is a simple addition that fact-obsessed types will
spend hours organizing.

While FIFA ’97 is the pinnacle of soccer sim-
dom and will definitely keep me playing all the
way till °98, it isn’t perfect.
The goalkeepers suck, with
absolutely no command of
the six-yard box, let alone
the rest of their area. They
punch when they should
catch the ball and use their
feet all too often—okay for
indoor play, but not a stan-
dard outdoor tactic. These

goofs are interspersed with

Seven camera angles
show off the highly de-

tailed polygonal players.

January 1997 * PC GAMES
126

flashes of pure brilliance as they pull off
stunning saves to deny shots that are bound
for the top corner.

A slight pause between the players’ running-
and-passing and shooting animations also hinders
fast-paced breaks, making a quick-fire shot in a
goal mouth scramble simply impossible. Also, de-
spite the instant-replay feature to view events from
any of seven camera angles, you still can’t save
goals, fouls, or anything else you want for replay
at a later date. Note for 98: Make it happen, EA.

For now, the three levels of difficulty, all the
variation of the world’s teams and their trans-
ferrable players, and the overall realism enhanced
by top-quality commentary keep FIFA the best

soccer game on the market.

GAMEPLAY: B+ a
GETTING STARTED: B+
GRAPHICS: A=
SOUND CHECK: B+

OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER: B+

Soccer fans—buy it.

PusuisHeR: EA Sports
800-245-4525
Wwww.ea.com
Win 95/DOS CD
Pentium 75, 8MB RAM (16MB
with Win 95), DOS 5.0 or Win
95, 1MB PCI/VLB graphics card,
Sound Blaster 2.0 or compatible
List Price: $59.95

v Never trust the goalkeeper to do
TIPS anything right. Get defenders into the
goal area to crowd out attackers. A boot upfield
out of danger may not be pretty, but it is effective.
¥v When bearing down on the goal, use the pass
button, held down for a second or two, to fire a
quick, low shot to a corner. W Jockey with attack-
ers rather than sliding in, or you'll end up stranded
with an attacker behind you shooting at the goal.
¥v Since headers from a long way out appear to
have the power of normal shots, send a winger
down the side, cross the ball, and then switch to
an attacker to hit the header button.

FIFA SOCCER ‘97

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

ant
wan
ey

praia: ath

BINSO

TERRY MILLS 107

Think youre ready for th

la g

mes in the league. Choose from over 150 of the NBA's best includ

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These testimonials are from some people

who have played Soultrap...

7 —- Soe SY DYER TOA TONEDN BINH TASTE RENCE

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Once you start playing you won'tbe 4 arcade or console system, but angles as | played was really cool. love the fact that | can change the
able to stop." this is the first time I’ve really seen it There's even a smart camera that music as | play."
done well for the PC. Two big picks the best view for you!"
thumbs up!"

but don’t believe everything you read.
wpaguenanes« it for yourself.

SOULTRAP a

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Available at fine software retailers everywhere.

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eo Ontario,

Hunter
Hunted

idescrolling games are as dead as Dillinger,

right? Hunter Hunted may change your mind

about that. Sierra has incorporated the staple
elements of first-person shooters—with multiplayer

deathmatching chief among them—into an innova-

GAMEPLAY: B-
GETTING STARTED: A
GRAPHICS: B

SOUND CHECK: B- BOVERALL

MULTIPLAYER: C +

Good fun for platform gamers, but it
lacks a certain something.

Sierra On-Line

800-757-7707
WWW.Sierra.com

Win 95 CD

Pentium 90, 8MB RAM (16MB
rec.), Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM
drive

PUBLISHER:

HUNTER HUNTED

PLATFORM:
REQuirEs:

ESTIMATED
STREET PRICE: $54

PLAY THE DEMO ON
PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

radicator

radicator offers jaded 3D shooter vets a new

twist on this increasingly tired genre. To wit,

you're going to have to use your noggin. While
Accolade’s entry into the action wars isn’t ground-
breaking in any way, the fact that it offers some
new challenges makes it worthy of notice.

The game can be played from first-person or
chase view as one of three warriors: the Duke clone
Dan Blaze, the sultry Eleena, or the lizard-like
Kamchak. At your disposal are some awesome

Sorry, bub, but you’re gonna have to think
your way out of this one.

There can
be only
one

tive little side-view game that’s a nice
change for action fans suffering from
first-person, 2.5D vertigo.

In Hunter Hunted, you play as
either a Sly Stallone wannabe or a
gargantuan minotaur. As the perfect
physical specimen of your species, it’s
your job to rip your way through a decrepit
labyrinth infested with monstrous enemies.
Picking up all kinds of destructive implements
along the way—from whips to guns to
bazookas—you have to prove your worth by
being the last man (or thing) left standing.

This game doesn’t just scroll to the side; you
also move in and out, following tunnels and pas-
sageways on a Z-axis through the monitor to ap-
pear in a new wing of the labyrinth. The designers
didn’t waste this feature, either, using it to pull
nifty architectural tricks that turn the maze into a
brain-busting Rubik’s Cube.

While a heavy emphasis is put on the multi-
player experience, there’s more ambition than

excitement to Hunter Hunted. Two can play at a

It’s your best chance in years to be a minotaur.

single machine in a split-screen mode, but you can’t

help but feel like something’s missing—namely, the
element of surprise (intentional surprise, since
stumbling upon your opponent is the only way to
find him). The fact that you’re both fighting each
other from an omniscient third-person view saps a
lot of the energy and anticipation out of a death-
match. It’s still fun to chase the bastard with a
bazooka when all he has is a knife, though.
Hunter Hunted may be worth a look for con-
sole converts eager to see the first major-league
crack at a console-style game getting the PC death-
match treatment. But it’s nothing to keep the LANs

humming after hours. —Daniel Morris

Napalm + mines + brainpower = game

weapons, including a napalm launcher, spider
bombs, and mines which you can use to nix a de-
monoid bad guy’s takeover of an enormous city-
scale installation.

More distinctive than the firepower is the brain-
power required to navigate Eradicator’s levels. There
are devious puzzles blocking your way, such as a
force field that requires you to find its generator,
knock it out, and then scramble back to the disabled
field before the generator can repair itself. There are
several such obstacles on each level, and they de-
mand ingenuity, stealth, and resourcefulness. It’s a
refreshing break from the kill-crazy rampages we’re
used to by now.

The weapons make Eradicator a particularly in-
triguing multiplayer contest. Over modem or LAN,
up to eight players can go at it with a nice array of
tactics. Leave mines in a dark hallway, bathe a likely
ambush spot with napalm, or send a phalanx of spi-
der bombs marching around a corner in search of
live targets. Conveyor belts and elevators are just

January 1997 » PC GAMES
129

some of the features of the included level editor.

Eradicator isn’t a complete success, and lacks
some of the inspiration that can make this type of
game (okay, Duke Nukem 3D) a classic. But there’s
still a lot of stuff here you haven’t seen before.

—Daniel Morris

GAMEPLAY: B |
GETTING STARTED: B- |
GRAPHICS: B- |
SOUND CHECK: C+

OVERALL

MULTIPLAYER: B+

ERADICATOR

A heady first-person shooter that’s not

quite first-level.

Accolade

800-245-7744
www.accolade.com

DOS CD

486DX/66 (Pentium rec.), DOS
6.0, 8MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM
drive

PUBLISHER:

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

ESTIMATED

Street Price: $49.95

re >
at age

TRAE ARDY OF

Fishine

en MK hh
Vy spene cnt he Rien

“epenage @03¢laven Pieyer Sethe Action.
___ River Tens od.

ired of catching bass? Ready for a challenging fishing sim? Welcome to the relaxing and challenging world of fly

fishing on your PC. The Art of Fly Fishing Volume I recreates this skillful sport using live videotaped footage.
Fish three of the United Kingdom’s finest trout and salmon rivers: the Blackwater, Spey and Test. With the sooth-
ing sounds of nature and the intricacies of choosing the right equipment and flies, this fishing simulation puts you
right in the water.

~The Art of Fly Fishing is not just a fun fishing simulation; it also contains an extensive library of information to
help you learn more about the fish, their habitat and their behavior. Choose your fishing spot based on conditions

including time of day, season, temperature and water currents. Once you've chosen the right conditions, a variety of

flies and rods will help you land the fish of your dreams, provided your casting skill is up to par. After you've prac-

PHILIPS

@1 996 Arc Development. Published

ticed, invite up to 5 friends to enter into a fishing competition where the winner receives a cash prize and the by Gametek, Inc. Distributed by
opportunity to upgrade his equipment. The Art of Fly Fishing; the only fly fishing simulation for your PC. Philips Media. All rights reserved

To order, see your local retailer or call 1-800-340-7888

YOUDONTKNOW {|
ACK volume 2

ike all monstrously successful games, last year’s
smash YOU DON’T KNOW JACK was bound
to spawn a sequel or two. On the heels of YOU
DON’T KNOW JACK Sports comes YDKJ vol-
ume 2, Berkeley Systems’ newest round of hilarity.
For those who’ve missed out, YDK] lets three

Dr. Frankenstein created the Frankenstein
Monster from spare parts of dead humans. Now
he wants to create a “porcine” pet for him. Which

eens ee set of parts should the good doctor get?

hand at the most
bizarre trivia ever.

Volume 2 continues the tradition,
adding a few minor enhancements such
as picture questions and celebrity ap-
pearances from the likes of Tim Allen
and Erik Estrada. One major change is
that the classic host has been replaced by

players sit around the keyboard while a clever and —_ a Corey Feldman sound-alike—a big mistake. The

GAMEPLAY:
GETTING STARTED:
GRAPHICS:

SOUND CHECK:

sarcastic host quizzes them on pop culture. More original host had presence and the ability to sound

often than not, like he was coming up with clever joke after clever

the questions joke off the top of his head. This guy sounds too

This new
JACK 1s a kick

are rife with much like he’s reading the material, killing a lot of

sexual innu- the genuinely funny lines he’s been given. MULTIPLAYER:

in the pants

endo, with cat- By tweaking where they shouldn’t have,

a YDKJ was great, and here’s more.
egories like
Literature That Makes You Wet Yourself, The

National Pastime, and Gettin’ Some. The original

Berkeley’s lost some of the original game’s feel,

making volume 2 an inferior game. On the other PususHer: Berkeley Systems
800-344-5541
www.berksys.com

Win/Win 95/Mac CD

Requires: 486/33, 6MB RAM,
Win 3.1 or Win 95, Super VGA,

2X CD-ROM drive

hand, it’s still a lot better than any trivia game out

took the approach that less is more: there was no there, and if you’ve exhausted YDK]’s questions, PLATFORM:

REQUIRES:

video of the host, no overwhelming graphics. It you'll definitely want to pick it up. If you haven't

was all low-key, but very well done. The music, the tried either game, it should be your mission in life

ESTIMATED

wittiness of the questions, and especially the host
q B ) STREET Price: $29.99

to pick up the original JACK. Don’t wait.

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK VOLUME 2

made it The Game for parties.

Trophy Bass 2

any people who have never fished for bass

—Shane Mooney

Days like

this are
few and far
between.

1: Largemouth Bass 20 1b. 6 oz.

TOTAL WEIGHT
51 Ib. 9 oz.

2, Large month Bass Va lh. 9 62
s Largemouth Bass 99 ib. 4a

4.1 argemmou th Bass

the hot spots on these massive lakes during diffi-

5. Largeniouth Hass

assume those who do are all beer-swilling, cult weather conditions, and then there’s choosing

4a Ib. 1 02.

overweight rednecks from tiny towns where __ the right lure...

dating your sister is not only tolerated, but Yet, a true sense of competition was missing.
actively encouraged. Not anymore. Yes, Trophy Bass has gone multi-

Not true. Professional bass fishing is a big-time _ player, with Internet play (for up to 100 play-

sport, with big-time money and even fame to be ers—check it out on the ImagiNation Network’s N aries
won. Don’t believe me? Just check out the intro to = CyberPark on AOL: www.inngames.com), two- - GRAPHICS:
Trophy Bass 2, where professional fishermen lift player modem capability, and network support ef SOUND CHECK: OVERALL
up their catches for hundreds of fans to go nuts for up to 15 players. Now zoom around 10 of a
, over. Heck, America’s hottest bass havens and try to outfish . MULTIPLAYER:
: : the fact that —-your friends. It’s not Duke, but it does add some
Bite, baby i bite! Sierra is drama to your time on the lake. 5 aces napa Segue oe
launching Other than the multiplayer options and new =

Devetoper: Dynamix

a sequel a year after the original says something.
Obviously, fishermen such as myself are over-
joyed to see such a title, particularly one that’s
this polished. However, die-hard strategy gamers
may also be pleasantly surprised by what they
find here. The original Trophy Bass accurately
simulated the behavior of bass during the passing
seasons, as well as the overall feel of the fishing

experience. Lots of strategy 1s involved in finding

PuBusHER: Sierra On-Line

800-757-7707

WWw.sierra.com

Win/Win 95 CD

486DX/66, 8MB RAM, Win 3.1
(Win 95 required for multiplayer),
Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM drive
List Price: $59.99

lakes, there aren’t many changes from the
original Trophy Bass. Snags have been added,

PLATFORM:
REQUIRES:

but they’re not realistic, and you still retain the
lure on your line when a fish breaks off. Some
resource management features, like needing to
earn money to buy better boats and fishing

equipment, would have been decent additions.

PLAY THE DEMO ON
Maybe in the third game.

PC GAMES.EXE CD-ROM

—Steve Klett

January 1997 » PC GAMES
131

three new high-impact tables that land you smack in the cen-
ter of the action. You'll flip for the new 3-D graphics, new ball
animations and a barrage of new sounds, not to mention good
old-fashioned table nudging. Now the

best pinball ever is bigger than ever:
FULL TILT! 2 PINBALL. M\A XI S

RATING PENDING

Available for Windows 3.1/Windows 95. Coming soon for Power Macintosh. ©1996 Maxis, Inc. All rights reserved. Full Tilt! is a trademark and Maxis is a registered trademark of Maxis, Inc. All other
trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. For product or ordering information, contact your local retailer or call 800-33-MAXIS. Visit the Maxis Web site at http://www.maxis.com.

the front gate.

Your first big decision is choosing one of the
game’s 18 professions. Combat and magic skills
are essential, so pick a career that gives some em-
phasis to both. Nightblades (a mixture of mage
and thief) and Battlemages (a mixture of mage and
warrior) are the easiest roles to play—not that
either is a piece of cake.

If you’d rather “roll your own,” give yourself
at least one primary or major skill that’s magical
(preferably Thaumaturgy) and another that’s

Wanna wander Tamriel as a wereboar?
Roll the dice.

weapons-based. Characters skilled in Thauma-

turgy can purchase the Levitate spell for far less
cash and use fewer spell points casting it. Levitate
lets you move over (or down into) pits, go through
holes above you, avoid foes, and on occasion,
move directly to the object of a quest without
working through 50 or 60 monsters.

Of the eight character attributes, Agility is the
most combat-useful. It figures into the number of

geons, and character
configurations,
Daggerfall is a fantasy role-player’s dream. But all that com-
plexity can make it a nightmare, too. We're here to help you
over the hardest hurdles, with hints that will make you the

toast of Tamriel, rather than a toasted body dropped off at

cial

attacks you get, how
well you hit, and how
adeptly you avoid be-
ing hit. Sacrifice a few
Personality and End-
urance points at the
start, and stick them
in your hero’s Agility. Raising your Agility level
should be a priority early on, whatever your pro-
fession. Later you can work on Intelligence,
Strength, Speed, and Willpower.

If you think you’ve got
enough experience to move

up a level, click on your in-

ventory screen. That will
trigger your advancement.
But first, save your game.
Your character randomly ac-
quires 4 to 6 attribute points
each level,
and who
wants to
settle for anything on the low
end? Keep loading that saved
game and the inventory screen
until you hit the big 6.

Your three primary and three
major skills start at a higher
level and advance more quickly
than your other skills, so be sure
to put at least one weapons skill
in there. Add a less vital skill
that you'll use often, like

: January 1997 * PC GAMES ;
133

Action and exploration help you advance.

Running. If you run through town all the time,

this skill should constantly advance, helping you
increase faster in levels.

How do you gain experience in magic skills
if you don’t need to use them? Simple: Cast pas-
sive spells like Heal, Stamina, Chameleon, and
Levitate right before you rest, whether you need

them or not.

Advancement in any of Daggerfall’s many guilds
takes time. Each guild level requires a minimum
Reputation of +10/level. You gain 5 Reputation

points every time you succeed on a guild quest,

Head into towns to find the guilds, a vital source of help.

but lose a point with all fac-

tions in the kingdom with each
passing month (if you’re not
keeping busy, no one’s hearing
about you, so your reputation
fades). So three successful
quests per guild is typically the
minimum necessary to advance.
Your character also needs
good skill ratings in two areas

Stock up on goodies in the dungeons.

that any particular guild teaches. Remember, if

you can’t get enough training in a particular
skill, you can always go to a dungeon, stock up
on goodies, sell them in town, and pay to train
at the guild. It takes time and money, but you’ve
got both—until you set off on the central quests.

Daggerfall’s main quests send
you into some of the roughest
dungeons this side of Chicago.
But nobody’s telling you to
start off with the baddest
monsters around. Work up a
bunch of levels first, taking on
small quests from the guilds.
Build up your reputation and
develop some very good stats,

armor, weaponry, and spells.
Be wary, but don’t avoid
dungeons: they’re an excellent
source of revenue when
you're not under a deadline.
Just hang close to the en-

trance, kill monsters
wielding weapons and
armor, and then drop
. off the gear at the en-
trance.

The Mage, Fighter,
and Temple guilds are
your best sources of
quests. You'll have to
work yourself up
through each guild’s
ranks, but it pays off:
you can make en-
chanted weapons in the
Fighter Guild, create your own spells or summon
powerful demons in the Mage Guild, and pur-
chase or make potions in some of the temples.

Quests vary. Turning one down costs you
nothing; accepting and not fulfilling it has a
small cost. In general, avoid dungeon quests,
since these are time-consuming and sometimes
nearly impossible to solve. Stick with simple
quests to locate somebody in a distant town, rid

a residence of monsters, or best of all, protect a

Fight multiple attackers one at a time.

January 1997 * PC GAMES

134

meditating mage from
The Dark Brotherhood
for three hours.

When defending a
mage, hang out near the
front door. Around the
end of the first hour,
three attackers will enter.
Keep your weapon out, and be swift. Success is
crowned by an enchanted object or a valuable gem.

dni De Dic Hue Pee ENT : 2 Me assed

Yeah, you can take this guy, but you'll
want dwarven weaponry for the Undead.

pattie Mints

Avoid tackling the Undead until you’ve got dwar-
ven weaponry or better: many of these creatures
are resistant to weapons made from steel, silver,
or iron. Wounds from the Undead also have a
number of unpleasant side effects, including dis-
ease, lycanthropy, and vampirism.

Most creatures of a certain kind have identi-
cal opening attacks. Rangers will shoot at you
from a distance, so close with them at once.
Battlemages will cast Invisibility, so strike quickly
and furiously at the last place you saw them.

If there are multiple enemies in
one room, stand by the door so they
can only attack you one-on-one.
When things get hairy, retreat, find a
quiet spot, close the door, and sleep
until healed.

You won’t lose items if you don’t
instantly grab them off a corpse. Come
back later if you’re bogged down.

Eventually, you’ll want to buy a
wagon to hold all your collected gear.
These carts have to be parked at dun-
geon entrances, but you can always
return there periodically to pile up all
the loot.

“4 Pilot your PANG. |
-- Vector Craft} armed with up to ten
= Jethal weapons, engines & shields

(Advanced

Develop your own killer

. strategies using 7. Sophisticated
"| preprogrammed flight maneuvers

+. Pilot your way through day

: and night time missions, laying

~ waste.to- entire cities, blowing up — y
«dams and a aistyoytg enemy convoys.”

¢ CONTENT RATED BY fe

; : BY. GAMERS. FOR GAMERS. i:
1 86 Grenat in interactive Re Mi a reserved. SandWartiors and neray are # trademarks at Interplay Prodiytions A fi ee reserved, ney is the-solg publisher and distributor: Licensed from and ul neg by Gremfin Interactive: bid

- Can you-destroy. the sar Set Empire and capture the Sandships of the Gods before
: Tis armies do? Or will ine be at stranded on yout wee planet? Soar through: _

WWW.INTERPLAYCOM

“desert tock donated and ease your ”
: stealth fighter craft to the limit.

abe

LANGUAGE
Profanity

To order, visit your retailer
or call 1-800-234-3088.

www.mindscapegames.com

© 1996 Mindscape, Inc. All rights reserved. All copy-
right, trademarks and registered trademarks are the
property of their respective holders. Call 1-800-771-
3772 for information on ESRB Game Ratings.

From the Options (main) menu,
type these codes:

MRTRK: Makes all tracks
available.

TACAR: Bonus car.
TBCAR: Bonus car.
TCCAR: Bonus car.
TDCAR: Bonus car.

Time Commando

Ise these passwords at the Password screen:
Hard
SOIOLGNK
TFISVJMC
XFYAMXIE
ZOVASAIV
BODSGWLW
VEJHMQKO
ZEYPCEHQ
HMFDLGNN

Normal
QUSLVABL
KAYAGEAF
MZFSPQDD
AVMJFGGU
EVBSVTCV
YLHHGXBO
ALPYPJFO
YBULVABN

Roman Empire:
Japanese Middle Age:
European Middle Age:
Conquistadors:

Wild West:

Modern Wars:

Future:

Beyond Time:

Shattered Steel

During gameplay, hit Enter, then
type one of the following:

GONZLES: Makes bot fast.

NUMBER 7

RAGNAROK: Blows player bot’s SINGER:
tat att Rolling mine.
SMITE: Destroys your target. CGO: Latge
rocket eight-
CAPONE: Spawns five gnats to pack.
help you.
aki ; GFY: Small rocket 18-pack
HENCHMAN: Spawns a shiva t
—— BCUA: Large rocket 18-pack.
help you.

DINGLEBERRY: Heavy laser.
BUMSAUCE: Heavy rapid laser.
NAPALMINTHEMORNING: Gives
you a mine.

KICKSOMEBUTT: Heavy
plasma, two 64-packs of small
rockets.

TINKERBELL: Nova weapon.
HARDCODE: 30mm gat.

FNORD: 120 Howitzer.
CLEESE: Screws up bot animation.

BLIPPLE BLOOPS: Rapid laser.

We're weary-eyed, carpal-tunnel game-
boys, and we love ya. So here’s Resolution
#106 for 1997: to keep you current with
all the coolest, latest codes. This month,
a mix of action, strategy, and driving
sims. Storm the strongholds of man or
woman with these deadly Gender Wars
cheats. Roadhogs, tap those fingers to
check out bonus cars and all of the tracks
in the blistering Screamer 2. Stuck in
Time Commando or Shattered Steel?
Not anymore. You'll be crushing metal
and leaping through the ages in, um, no
time.What can we say? Enjoy!

To use the cheats:

(1) Start a normal game.
BIGONES:
70mm gat.
~ STOOL
MINE LAUNCHER
PYROTEK: Gives you a
mine.
‘| LOCKANDLOAD: Gives

'
_ all weapons max ammo.

IMOUTTAHERE: Wins

(2) Go to the Options screen.
(3) Select Save Game.

(4) Then, in any slot, type:
BUY A PLAYSTATION:

God mode—invulnerability,
infinite energy, weapons
WORLD OF FISH:

Lets you access any level (1-14)

mission. (5) Hit Enter.

RODRIGO: Spawns two light (6) From the Options screen,
choppers to help. select Quit To Titles.
textures.

(8) Pick men or women.

CHERNOBYL: Nuke.

TELEPORT <1=-512><1=512>:
Takes you to any position
on map.

(9) Follow the onscreen
directions.

SEE MURE UNLIFE
http://www.pcgames.com

137

TO PLAY THIS GAME,

YOU JUST GOTTA KNOW
WHERE TO PUT ’

Want to play doctor? Here’s your chance to diagnose, treat and, hopefully, discharge
a healthy, living patient. CD ROM Today calls Emergency Room “a fast-paced, realistic

medical adventure.’ Be prepared to face over 400 possible cases—
from hangnails to gunshot wounds. All brought to life by over 30 minutes
of digital video, a Hollywood cast and 1,500 photo-realistic 3-D graphics.

Lives are hanging in the balance, so rush to your local
software dealer. Code Blue. Or visit www.pc.ibm.com/multimedia.

By David Gerding

t’s the holiday season—the

time of year when we think

of others (how can we per-
suade them to buy us gifts we
really want?), of goodwill to-
ward men (how good will those
presents be?) and of replacing
our PCs with the latest and
greatest...which we think about
all year, anyway, so there’s no
sense in stopping just for the
holidays, right?

To get into the high-tech hol-
iday spirit, we’ve rounded up all
the top gear to build a pair of nearly perfect PCs.
Yes, it’s hard work playing with the latest and
greatest hardware for hours on end. We blasted
each other in Duke deathmatches. We seared our
eyeballs gazing at incredible 3D-accelerated
graphics. We shattered our nerves experiencing
muscle-CPU
performance
on games
that the rest
of you won't
see until
hee a ob
hey, it’s the
holidays, and

we're willing

SideWinder
Gamepad

to make those big sacrifices to bring this very
special gift to you. Now, is that Christmas spirit,
or what?

Our first system is for the money-is-no-object
crowd. We call it the PC of the Gods, a setup that’s
truly greater than the sum of its amazing parts.
This is what all loyal PC Games readers (and edi-
tors) truly deserve. For those for whom money
most certainly is an object, we offer the PC of the
Gods Who Are Nearing Their VISA Limit, a sys-
tem that is sure to thrill all but the most affluent of

game aficionados.

TECHNOBABBLE

Visions of Pentiums
Dance in Their Heads...

Mag Innovision MXP17F

The PC of the Gods

The Core System

Intel Pentium 200 with MMX (P55C)
64MB EDO RAM

4 PCI expansion slots

qdqd<d<

Universal Serial Bus (USB) support

We chose a Micronics motherboard model MSSH1
as the base for the system. Micronics has a great
reputation, and this board delivers the latest in high-
performance specs, including more PCI slots, which
will come in handy in °97 when more cards—espe-
cially sound cards—make the jump to PCI. The USB
support on the machine takes a little imagination
(and faith): While there aren’t many USB peripherals

right now, we believe there will be in a couple of

January 1997 *» PC GAMES
139

months, and with the Micronics, you'll be ready
for them. The ability to chain your peripherals will
be worth it.

The processor, a 200 MHz MMX-enabled
Pentium, means you'll be ready for all the MMX
‘wares, game and otherwise, that appear in the
happy new year. MMX 1s really going to acceler-
ate all things multimedia on the PC once the pro-
grammers have retooled their code for the new
technology. Games will suddenly get bigger color
palettes at higher resolutions. (Ever tire of the
brown-gray color scheme in Quake?) Sure, the sys-

tems won't be out until late January, and MMX-

lomega
Zip Drive

enabled titles may take even longer. But we think
the wait is worth it.

Finally, a huge, heaping 64MB helping of fast
EDO RAM prepares you for a world where
Windows 95 memory-hog gaming is the norm. If
you can find a system with the newer Synchronous
DRAM, get it instead. Synchronous DRAM is even
taster than EDO, although paying more than about
a 10-percent premium over EDO memory proba-
bly isn’t worth it. But this is the PC of the Gods!

Just say “Charge it.”

The Drives
Western Digital 3.1GB
Adaptec SCSI Controller 2940UW
lomega Jaz
lomega Zip
Pioneer 12X CD-ROM
The hard drive ts your basic Western Digital EIDE

qd dd<

drive, but huge! The whopping 3.2GB model is our fa-
vorite. It’s a BIG drive. Western Digital’s products are
fast, reliable, and deliver serious bang for the buck.

When you can’t get bigger, go for faster. On the
CD-ROM front, we’re speeding up to Pioneer’s
12X CD-ROM drive. This thing spins so fast it has
an anti-vibration mechanism to keep it from liter-
ally hopping across the desktop! And DVD-ROM’s
slow path to the market means the Pioneer will be
worthwhile for some time to come.

For some extra “portable storage,” Santa’s pop-
ping for Iomega’s SCSI-based Zip and Jaz drives,
which store 100MB and 1GB, respectively, on car-
tridges you can put in your pocket. To make sure
these units perform at peak efficiency, we pick
Adaptec’s 2940UW SCSI adapter, which offers top-
of-the-line Wide SCSI performance.

The Display System

Matrox Millennium

MGA MediaXL-MPEG

MGA Media TV

Orchid Righteous 3D or Diamond Monster 3D

Mag Innovision 17’ XP17F Monitor
We think our display system reflects real genius.
We start with the Matrox Millennium, still one of
the best all-around Windows and DOS 2D acceler-
ators. Then we add the MediaXL MPEG card,
which endows the Matrox with hardware MPEG
playback and video capture. We also slap on the
MGA Media TV card, a TV tuner that'll let you
watch TV on the desktop. (We’re tired of craning

qqddd<

our necks around to watch those Max Headroom
reruns on the 19-incher across the room.)

For 3D, we recommend either the Righteous
3D or the Diamond Monster 3D. Which one to
get? Since performance is similar on each board,
base your selection on the software bundle you
prefer. Both boards use the Voodoo 3D graphics
chip, which delivers 3D graphics even better than
those of Rendition-based boards. Plus, you get to
keep your existing 2D card.

For the monitor, we step up to a Mag Innovision
MXP17E, a knockout 17-incher with a host of neat
features. (Even we didn’t have the heart to hit Santa
for a 21-inch monitor.) This unit made the cut for
its quality, its support of hi-res (1600-by-1200) for
playing super-hi-res games like Links LS, and its
great price. An LCD walks you through customiz-
ing settings so you can get the highest refresh rate at

various resolutions, which is easier on the eyes.

Also, this isn’t one of those multimedia-ready
monitors with built-in speakers. The system of the
gods must have separate speakers, so why get

“built-ins” that you’re going to turn off?
; gOlls

Sound and Modem
V = Creative Phone Blaster PnP 33.6
VY = Yamaha DB50XG MIDI Adaptor
Vs Altec Lansing ACSSS with Dolby
Multimedia Surround
Our unusual choice for a sound card isn’t a sound
card at all, but a multifunction “telephony” card
from Creative Labs. The Creative Phone Blaster
PnP 33.6 incorporates onboard Sound Blaster 16
hardware. But the Phone Blaster also includes full
duplex speakerphone functionality, voice mail with
caller ID, and the highest conventional modem
speed available today—33.6Kbps. While Sound
Blaster’s AWE32 is still technically the audio king
of the hill, too few games take advantage of its
proprietary positional audio features. We'd rather
be able to do nifty Computer Phone Tricks.

What about MIDI and wavetable? We've got
you covered. We recommend the Yamaha
DBSOXG daughtercard; it plugs into your Phone
Blaster without taking up an extra slot in your sys-
tem. This card outdoes the MIDI you'll get from a
Sound Blaster AWE32, sporting 4MB of ROM
samples, twice that of the AWE32. Yamaha has
been pushing its MIDI XG “standard” as the
replacement for General MIDI. They’re right—it’s
much, much better.

Finally, Altec Lansing’s Dolby Surround-
enabled speakers use cleverly placed drivers to
dunk you in audio as immersive as a three-speaker
setup can get. The next step up from here is home

theater, a big step even for gods.

The Controllers
Microsoft Intellipoint Mouse
Thrustmaster F22
Microsoft SideWinder Gamepad
Thrustmaster T2 Steering Control

qd<d<

Face it: when it comes to playing games, the stick’s
the thing. And the mouse...and the steering wheel.
Every game genre has its own ideal input device.
Our conclusion? Get ’em all.

For the mouse, we specify the Microsoft
Intellipoint. It may not be flashy, but it’s functional
and very comfortable. A great stocking stuffer.

Our pick for joystick is the new Thrustmaster

January 1997 » PC GAMES
140

F22, the crown jewel of sticks. This controller

has a feel unlike any other. It screams quality, it’s
totally programmable, and it has enough buttons
and flexibility to keep the most hardcore PC games
fanatic satisfied. (We're taking a wait-and-see posi-
tion on CH Products’ new force-feedback stick. We
need to save something for ’97.)

For plattorm games and shooters, nothing beats
a gamepad. Microsoft has the winner with its new
SideWinder Gamepad. Great feel, programmability
under Windows 95, and the ability to daisy-chain
up to four of the pads for multiplayer action make
it our top choice.

For hard-driving excitement, we want the
Thrustmaster T2 steering control. This is the high-
end unit that includes separate shift and accelera-
tor/brake controls. It’s simply more compelling to
steer a car in a driving game with a steering wheel.
Go figure! Monster Truck Madness and IndyCar II

come alive!

THE GODLY SYSTEM

CORE SYSTEM PRICE
Intel Pentium 200 with MMX (P55C), [in ayzri!
Micronics Motherboard (64MB EDO
RAM, 4 PCI, USB, and all the bells
and whistles)

Adaptec SCSI Controller 2940UW

DISPLAY SYSTEM
Matrox Millennium
MediaXL-MPEG

TV Tuner

Mag Innovision 17”

CONTROLLERS
Thrustmaster F22

SideWinder Gamepad
Thrustmaster T2 Steering Control
Microsoft Intellipoint Mouse

DRIVES
Western Digital 3.1GB
lomega Jaz
lomega Zip
Pioneer 12X CD-ROM

SOUND & TELEPHONY
Phone Blaster 33.3 PnP
Yamaha DB50XG

Altec Lansing ACS55 with
Dolby Multimedia Surround

THE GRAND TOTAL
(AND WE MEAN GRAND!)

An adventure game of supernatural beauty & haunting elegance for W

Journey into the unknown. Unravel mysteries hidden within co

HUE FOREST

ENTERTAINMENT

SS add

in '95™

pelling stories of heart-rending tragedy, mind-numbing obsession, and child-like innocence.

SIMULATION

CORPORATION,

The Core System

V = Intel Pentium 166

VY 32MB EDO RAM

While we'd rather not recommend anything
less than an MMX-enabled Pentium, we
live in the same world of annoying credit
limits as the rest of you. The 166 with this
much RAM is a good place to start.
Besides, when it comes to MMX, Intel has
hinted there will be MMX Overdrive chips
available down the road, so if MMX be-
comes an absolute must, you can make the
upgrade then.

The Drives
V = Western Digital 2.5GB
Vv s~Pioneer 10X CD-ROM
Western Digital’s 2.5GB drive is a bit smaller than
the 3.1GB drive
in the PC of the
Gods, and it’s
easier on the

F-16 *
pocketbook. . foarte
It offers the — Stick

same great
formance and

those who need
help with the
installation.

The Pioneer
10X has been around a little longer than the 12X
and is a good value if you can still find one on
store shelves. (There should be other 10X drives in
this price range.) Just how cool is the 10X? We can
say with confidence that it’s more than twice as
cool as 4X drives.

The Display System

Vv Any Rendition-based graphics cards

(including Creative, Sierra, Intergraph, etc.)
Vv —sPrinceton Ultra 17+
These Rendition boards are more than merely ex-
cellent. They offer awesome 3D performance, top-
notch VGA performance for DOS games, and solid
Windows performance—all on cards you can buy
for around $200. Also—and this is important for

(you know the rest)

PC Games readers—the Rendition is the
only chip so far that supports Quake
natively. Indeed, Quake fans may forego
our “Perfect PC” recommendation of a 3Dfx-
based board in favor of these Rendition boards
just for the opportunity to toast hi-res Shamblers.
For the monitor, we chose the Princeton Ultra
17+, a solid 17-inch display that’s Plug and
Play-compatible at a very affordable price. If
you're an avid gamer, we can’t recommend gaming

at less than 17 inches anymore.

The Controllers
VY = CHF-16 Combat Stick
This solid stick is sure to meet the needs of most
flight-sim fans while serving duty as a standard
joystick. The great thing about it is that it’s well-
built and fully programmable, for less money than

comparable Thrustmaster gear.

January 1997 * PC GAMES
142

Pioneer 10X

The PC of the Gods Who Are Nearing...

Sound

Vs Creative Labs Sound Blaster 32 PnP

The Sound Blaster 32 PnP is an excellent gift for
the audio-inclined. It’s not Creative’s top-of-the-
line AWE32, but many of the features on the
AWE32 go unused by today’s games anyway, so
why pay more? Wavetable synthesis—a require-
ment for any serious gamer—is standard.

Modem
V_ US. Robotics Sportster 33.6
The point here isn’t features; it’s getting you
connected to the Net and other gamers head-to-
head at the highest pos-
sible speeds. U.S.
Robotics remains a

price-performance

leader among modem-

~~ es makers. Although

many phone lines can’t
provide 33.6Kbps rates
reliably, we feel it’s important wv

high end. Once you’re cont can
get enough bandwidth. Best of all, the Sportster
33.6 will be upgradeable to conform to U.S.

Robotics’ recently announced X2 technology,

which promises to allow Sportster modems to run

at a wailing S6Kbps next year.

THE DEMI-GODLY SYSTEM

CORE SYSTEM PRICE
Intel Pentium 166 $1,800
with 32MB EDO RAM

DISPLAY SYSTEM
Rendition-based card
(Creative, Intergraph, Sierra, etc.)
Princeton Ultra 17+

About $200

$600

CONTROLLERS

CH Products F-16 Combat Stick $95
DRIVES

Western Digital 2.56B $280

Pioneer 10X CD-ROM

SOUND & TELEPHONY
Sound Blaster 32 PnP
MODEM

U.S. Robotics Sportster 33.6

THE STILL-VERY-
GRAND TOTAL

$180

$170

$160

*
*
4%
oP —
Petit
es a
’
bal
:
i
Raul *

The Sku Is No
/ Longer The Limil.

Go where no gamer has gane before
~ BEYOND Panzer Generat: Volume 4 in
SSI's awajd-winning 5-Star Series”
STAR GENERAL" is light-years
ahead of its proud ancestor!
Feel the power of an incredibly -
enhanced Panzer GENERAL game engine.
A Two-Level Combat System that accomnfodates
space combat AND surface combat. Resource man-
agement - conquer enemy planets and develop ~
them for your needs. See the beauty of over

‘90 fully rendered 3D starships, 100+ ground
units and multiple planet types. Command,

: + 8 mulli-planetary force as you struggle to repel the
advances of six alien races. Engage ina variety of:wars as

any of 7 different races. And be prepared to put in some time!
The scope of STAR GENERAL is as vast as space itself — with .
well over l00 hours of game play. The sky is no longer the
limit. So light up the heavens in 3 cosmic battle ©
forthe figh to be alled STAR GENERAL!

MULTI-PLAYER

CTA como ¢o-nom —-»-www.stargeneral.com.
WINDOWS® 95 & DOS _ TO ORDER: Visit your retailer (EWES
« op call 1-800-601-PLAY. [esis

A MINDSCAPE® COMPANY |

SEND NO MONEY Now EVERY ISSUE

WE’LL BILL YOU LATER.

IUIIES
GAMES,
EAULUSINE

Sign me up for one year of PC Games. Plus, I'll get
a CD-ROM - packed with playable demos of the latest iim aceite ORO Saas
games — with every issue for only $19.97. That’s a savings .
of over 71% off the cover price.

NAME HEAVY METAL!

a g Mighty Mech Games —

ADDRESS

CITY/STATE/ZIP

LG GAMES

Send foreign and Canadian orders prepaid in U.S. funds with either $15/year
additional for surface postage or $30/year additional for air delivery. Cover price: $6.99.
Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your first issue.

NEVIEV.
ON-LINE
JAMING.

TRON 471B6
eee eee eee eee ee eee eee eee ee ee eee eee ee

SEND NO MONEY —IM EVE A

WE’LL BILL YOU LATER.

UATE

Sign me up for one year of PC Games. Plus, I'll get | 1/ViLO
a CD-ROM - packed with playable demos of the latest [iiih-a_rinin “tema meuras enmins
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of over 71% off the cover price. , goat de 30

\“

NAME

ADDRESS

~~ Trek

Mo ]
pts! %
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TRON 47186
ee eee eee ee ee see eee eee ee

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FG GAMES

wh
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HEATS,

a Neh te

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of over 71% off the cover price. i
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DS Suit Larry. 7... aay .
NAME | . z e = " , |
o Sy : |

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iG GAMES

Send foreign and Canadian orders prepaid in U.S. funds with either $15/year
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All...

About.....Latency vo...

irst, get this straight: The Internet simply wasn’t

designed to let you play against 15 other people

in a Quake deathmatch. It was designed to
keep bits (information bits, that is) moving from
point A to point B and back in spite of network in-
consistencies—inconsistencies like, say, a 50-mega-
ton nuclear warhead inconveniently removing the
Midwest. Before the Internet was the Internet, it
was the Arpanet, created by and for the military to
withstand nuclear war.

Every packet of information moving across the
Internet carries with it information about which
machine it came from and to which machine it’s
headed. That way, when the big bombs started go-
ing off, and whole parts of the network went per-

manently offline, the information being sent by the

1/2: 15/200 §: 7
ig? 0750 6: &
0/200 7: 3750 0: 0799

unfortunate survivors would bounce around until
it arrived at the intended destination.
Unfortunately, the very flexibility that makes
the Internet terrific in the event of nuclear holo-
caust means that your precious game data mean-
ders its way from point A to point B. The biggest
problem facing online gamers is latency—the time
it takes information created on one computer to be
sent to another computer, and a response sent back
to the first computer. Because there’s no “fixed
path” for data to travel on the Internet, there’s no
way to predict from one moment to the next just
how bad latency will be. While latency is usually
measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a sec-
ond), this lag sometimes exceeds a second, which
slows things down so much that games are un-

playable or quit altogether.

The first thing to understand is that you can’t "fix'
latency completely. Electrons carrying bits move
through wires at the speed of light, which is fixed
at 186,000 miles per second. Things only move
faster on Star Trek. This means that in a perfect
point-to-point communication system, with Earth
about 25,000 miles round, the very best latency

one could achieve with a competitor on the oppo-

ow could I miss?

ory

WEAPONS,
750 8: 0/93
450 9:

site side of the planet would be about 13 millisec-
onds (ms), or about 75 “conversations” per
second. The thing to remember is that because of
the speed of light, nobody can give you “latency-
free” gaming. Sadly, the reality of latency is far
worse than this ideal.

Latency is the sum of many parts. For example,
consider TEN’s average of 225ms latency.
According to TEN’s chief technology officer, Dave
King, most of the latency happens not in the net-
work, but in the modem. Remember, it takes time
for the modem to take the bits your computer
sends it and translate those bits into audio signals
that are sent over the phone network. In fact, that
translation process accounts for more than half of
the latency in TEN’s 225ms average. If games

could work with the paltry amount of bandwidth

145

available at 2400 baud, they would actually
achieve better latency figures because less time
would be spent in the modem! In a game like
Duke, the packets of information are a mere 20
bytes, and clever game designers might go this
route in the near term.

The remaining time in the latency pool is 80ms
of the bits traveling the network there and back,
plus another 10ms on both the sending and receiv-

ing machines—not bad figures by any standard.

y tei caPonse:
> 387200 5: 1450 8: 0793
3: O/S0 6: 6/750 9: 0710)

07268 J: 0750 G: 9733

If you want the shortest latencies, play head to
head via a “null modem” against a friend on a
computer sitting next to yours, or via a modem
connection with someone who lives next door.
Better yet, play on a network in your office with
people in your office. Why? Remember, modems
increase latency and distance increases latency.
TEN, for example, plans to have a regional
business model eventually to try to achieve
latencies of around 150 to 160 versus the current
200+ figure. It’s all a matter of lessening distance.
If your goal is to play with multiple people and
you are using a modem, your lowest-
latency solution is going to be a regional
dial-in server architecture like that implemented by
DWANGO. DWANGO avoids the Internet

SMERPO!
157200 §: vay @:

altogether—negating the
vagaries of the Net
described above—and
places game servers in major cities into which you
can dial and compete against people also logged
onto that server. This setup has both distance and
network architecture working in its favor.
The bits travel less distance because
all the players are geographically
proximate, and the network

pipes are dedicated to one
thing—getting your bits to the
other players as fast as possible.

If you want the scope of games
and players currently available only
on the major national networks like
TEN, Mplayer, and Engage, you’ve got

two choices. Most of these networks

have preferred Internet service providers (ISP) that
have promised to give game players’ data special treat-
ment, so that some of the Internet latency problems
are avoided. Some of these networks also make direct-
dial numbers available, which avoids the Internet, but
you'll pay a modest premium to use them.

When choosing an ISP with an eye for multi-
player gamers, your best bet is a major national
provider. The national providers are usually fewer
"hops" away from the major backbones of the Net,
which means your bits move more directly. Ask
your service provider how many "hops" they are
away from the following major Internet pipes: MAE
East, MAE West, NY NAP, SF NAP, or Chicago
NAP. If they’re more than two hops away, you'll
probably want to look elsewhere.

Remember, in a multiplayer game, the “world” 1s
usually only as fast as the weakest link. Fast proces-
sors and a fast, high-quality modem will not only
improve your experience, but everyone else’s as well.
Some networks group players based on latency, so if
your hardware is fast, you’ll be paired up with oth-
ers who have fast hardware—yet another incentive

to upgrade.

: 154200 §: 1/50 8: ¢
i ES 3: : Bone i

What does the future hold? In the short term, mo-
dem-makers paying attention to the games market
might create a new generation of faster “latency-
reducing” modems, though such technology will
probably be eclipsed by newer all-digital technolo-
gies that avoid the translation-latency introduced
by modems.

Even new technologies such as U.S. Robotics’
recently announced X2 range of modems, sporting
speeds up to 56K, are not going to significantly re-
duce the effects of latency, as the bandwidth avail-
able for data remains the same. Incorporating
Digital Signal Processors (DSP) into modems, which
convert the signals far faster, would be a definite
starting place.

Other options available today, such as ISDN
cards, add less than half the amount of milliseconds
to the latency total than do existing modems. Down
the road, cable modems will reportedly introduce a
mere 6ms of latency into the equation. Better, but
not perfect. As more than one multiplayer-game
designer has been heard grumbling, “The speed of

light sucks.”

146

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Entertainment

© 1996 GTE Vantage Inc. All rights reserved. The GTE logo is a trademark of GTE Corporation. Timelapse and the GTE Entertainment logo are trademarks of GTE Vantage Inc. Titanic: Adventure Out of Time and CyberFlix is a trademark
CyberFlix, Inc. The NCAA and NCAA logos are registered trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and used under license by GTE Entertainment. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective holde

reative’s 3D Blaster card (reviewed in the
November issue, page 174) was the first of a
flurry of 3D graphics cards to sport Rendi-
tion’s Verité V1000 chip set. It’s quickly been
joined on the shelves by Intergraph’s Reactor 3D )(
and Sierra’s Screamin’ 3D. Because each card is es-
sentially the same in hardware compatibility, pur-
chasing decisions are based heavily on the bundled

software. Here’s the deal on the options:

OVERALL: A

Despite having a background in the hardware mar-
ket from the Aztech sound card days, Sierra’s entry
into this fray was still a surprise. But with a
healthy line-up of its own games to support its
hardware, the company’s decision makes sense.
Installation was a breeze—Windows 95 plug-
and-play actually worked—and the drivers were

upgraded without fuss. A strong bonus for Sierra is

With virtually identical hardware, these drivers
help to enhance the card’s performance in 2D—
an area found wanting in most 3D accelerators.

(Sierra; 800-757-7707; www.sierra.com; $199)

OVERALL: A-

Intergraph’s Reactor boasted the same simple

D Options

the use of Canopus Software’s optimized drivers.

drivers, the Reactor showed no significant boost
to performance in DOS. With the prevalence
of Windows 95 games, this shouldn’t be a
major problem.

New drivers are being made available for free
download trom Intergraph’s Web site when avail-
able. Backed by excellent company support and
customer service, Intergraph has a strong position
in this crowded market. (Intergraph; 800-763-
()242; www.ingr.com/ics/reactor; $149 until Dec.

31, $199 list price)

installation and setup as the Screamin’ 3D.

Without the enhancement of the Canopus

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